Ready for the big show
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, June 08, 2008
Abbie West, Mary Horton and Steffani Jiroux run through a routine. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)
It may have been just a rehearsal, but dancers were adroitly tapping their feet, pointing their toes and taking their bows in preparation for an annual rite of passage.
On June 14, all of them would prove they know they can dance.
Siouxland Movement Arts will present its 55th annual student recital, "Celebrate Dance," at the Orpheum Theatre.
The revue features dancers from the tri-state area, ages 4 through adult, performing ballet, tap, jazz and tumbling routines. The revue is the culmination of a season of study for more than 200 students.
Tuesday was a rehearsal to take dancers through their paces and give them an idea of when they should exit and enter.
Aleesa Wright stood to one side while daughter Lily, 6, was photographed in her blue tutu.
"My sister (Melissa Monlux) took dance lessons here," she said of her association with the dance studio. "I didn't; I was involved in drill team and synchronized swimming."
Wright said she signed Lily up for lessons to improve her self-esteem.
"She's shy, but here she's not; she's comfortable," Wright said of her young daughter, now in her second year. "Last year, she wore a pink costume. She still wears it."
Wright's oldest daughter Kelsey, 13, has stayed with dance lessons because she finds it enjoyable.
"You make friends and you get to dress up," said the North Middle School student.
Dress up is an understatement. The dancers will wear makeup, don sequined outfits, and create hairdos with bobby pins, spray and mousse, all for the bright lights that illuminate the Orpheum stage.
Megan Sattizahn, 17, has been dancing ballet, tap and jazz since she was 7, and is one of the assistant teachers. She figured it took her over an hour to get gussied up for recital.
"My hair's long and curly and so it takes me an hour just to straighten it and get it into a bun," she said. "Then, it takes me another half hour to do the makeup just right."
Alexa Kreisberg, 18, is a newbie to dancing, having first embraced the world of gymnastics for 11 years.
"I started to degenerate," she said with a smile. "I think I've ruined my knees and ankles and joints."
She took up dancing with Siouxland Movement Arts three years ago because ballet and jazz was a part of her gymnast background for her floor performance.
"I love moving," the North High grad said. "This really makes me feel graceful."
It may be the first, second or even ninth recital for the dancers, but only one woman can lay claim to it being the 55th -- Shirley Dill.
Back in the 1950s, Dill began teaching lessons in her parents' basement, with her first recital at Webster School. The 1960s saw lessons move to Sunset Plaza. During the 1970s lessons continued at a site at Sixth and Jones Streets until the 1980s when 813 Pearl St. became the location for Siouxland Movement Arts.
Kids don't change much over the years, Dill said. It was their other activities that changed their approach to dance.
"Kids are so much more involved," she said. "Athletics are available for young women now, when before that wasn't an option."
More than two dozen teachers have been part of the staff of Siouxland Movement Arts. Jennifer Byrne, who took lessons with Dill, has four classes in the revue and will serve as backstage manager.
"I even taught when I was pregnant with her," she said, nodding toward her daughter Molli, another dance studio alum, who will pursue dance at Morningside College.
"I'd rather teach," Molli said of the choice of professional versus instructor. "I'd rather have my students learn dance and have the attention on them."
In addition to the attention, the dancers will realize the payoff of months of baby bumbershays, jetes and contractions, to coin the lingo of tap, ballet and jazz. Keeping an eye on the proficiency of those moves was Dill's daughter and fellow instructor, Tracy Bennett.
"It's a sickness," Bennett said of her long-time association with dance. "I've tried to be normal and take a vacation from dance. But you can't listen to a song and not start choreographing in your head."
Bennett downplayed the importance of television shows like "So You Think You Can Dance."
"It's more about the parents who see the importance of their kids having dance lessons," she said. "The reality is: If you haven't started dancing by age 10, there's no way you can compete in that show."
Even with increasing fuel and food costs, parents still enroll kids in dance, Bennett said.
"Siouxland Movement Arts has been the 'meat and potatoes' in the dance business in Siouxland," she observed. "The economy can hit tough times, but people will still put their children first and give them dance lessons. Parents are willing to do without so their kids can have lessons."
Byrne, who happened to be within earshot, quickly and vehemently agreed.
"There was a time when we had two daughters in dance and we spent $10,000 on costumes and lessons," she said.
"People say, 'We have our boat' or 'We have our motorcycle,' but these parents say, 'We have dance,' " Bennett added. "That's how important they see it."
It was a sea of black leotards, white tights and pink ballet shoes at Siouxland Movement Arts this day, as the dancers readied themselves to rehearse their pieces.
Except for seven little girls -- garbed in pink -- who sat entranced, leaning forward, heads nodding in time to the music's beat, wide-eyed in hopes of one day being one of the "big kids."
The miniature ballerinas watched intently as Junior Tap Inc. -- which recently took gold at a national meet -- exemplified the irony of the song, "I Don't Dance." The 11-to 13-year-olds snapped and crackled their tap shoes with buffalos, ball changes and brush steps.
Little was tolerated during rehearsal, as Dill, Bennett and Byrne kept a watchful eye for any misbehavior.
And despite the intriguing objects in the studio, the walls lined with mirrors, free-standing bars and the vastness of the rehearsal space, there was no hanging or swinging on the bars; no fingerprinting or kissing a mirror and no running to get into place. Dancers sat quietly, watched attentively, applauded graciously after each set, and then positioned themselves to perform.
Now it was time for pretty-in-pink, 4-to 6-year-olds to take "places" for their dance to "Chapel of Love." Sometimes a bit disoriented, sometimes a bit hesitant, the girls bravely performed their arabesques, passes and fifth positions with a few grimaces until the end when the audience was rewarded with the youngsters' brightest of smiles.
On June 14, the look will be dramatically different as tulle and ribbons, lipstick and eye shadow, ballet and tap shoes, will change the girls into elegant, refined dancers. Some may choose it as a career, said Bennett.
"We have, in the last three generations of dancers, had our share of dancers performing on Broadway, in Las Vegas, on cruise ships and at Disney," she pointed out. "Many have gone on to get college scholarships, degrees and run dance programs at the college level."
Dancers tend to think of Siouxland Movement Arts as their home away from home, Bennett mused.
"Lots of these girls live here for 14 years of their lives," she said. "They tend to come back home."
Bennett said that many former students come back to take classes in the summer, work backstage at the recital or help out with the River-Cade dance contest.
"If nothing else, they come back to visit, bring their spouses and children back to meet their 'old' dance teachers," she said. "We are now teaching the grandchildren of some of our past students."
And although a name or face might sneak by Bennett, she said Dill has a "99 percent" recognition rate of previous students.
"She is amazing," marveled Bennett of her mom. "She can tell you about the dancers, their families, where they lived, if their brother had a broken arm."
Bennett, who chairs the dance program at Morningside, said the mission of the studio has been to bring the dance experience to the area. That's done with 35 to 40 classes weekly.
Siouxland Movement Arts also houses the Siouxland Civic Dance Association's Ballet Sioux, a nonprofit dance company that trains 40 to 50 dancers yearly in classical ballet. The dance association sponsors Jazzin' Co. and Tap Inc. The three companies perform 12 to 20 times a year, in competitions, for charity events and at dance festivals. The dance association also brings in master teachers, giving dancers a chance "to work with the pros," Bennett said.
When recital day finally arrives, it begins hours before the performance with dress rehearsal. For some it will be their first time, looking out into the stage lights and the awe of the Orpheum Theatre. It's the final opportunity to refine timing, perfect make-up, lacquer stray hairs, and anchor buttons and bows.
Once dress rehearsal is done, then all that's left is five-six-seven-eight, dance, and then the roar of the crowd, which includes moms, dads, siblings, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors and friends, who may have driven a distance and set aside Saturday night, all to support their dancer and the arts.
Want to go?
What: Celebrate Dance
Who: Siouxland Movement Arts dancers
When: 6 p.m.
Date: June 14
Where: Orpheum Theatre
Cost: $15
On June 14, all of them would prove they know they can dance.
Siouxland Movement Arts will present its 55th annual student recital, "Celebrate Dance," at the Orpheum Theatre.
The revue features dancers from the tri-state area, ages 4 through adult, performing ballet, tap, jazz and tumbling routines. The revue is the culmination of a season of study for more than 200 students.
Tuesday was a rehearsal to take dancers through their paces and give them an idea of when they should exit and enter.
Aleesa Wright stood to one side while daughter Lily, 6, was photographed in her blue tutu.
"My sister (Melissa Monlux) took dance lessons here," she said of her association with the dance studio. "I didn't; I was involved in drill team and synchronized swimming."
Wright said she signed Lily up for lessons to improve her self-esteem.
"She's shy, but here she's not; she's comfortable," Wright said of her young daughter, now in her second year. "Last year, she wore a pink costume. She still wears it."
Wright's oldest daughter Kelsey, 13, has stayed with dance lessons because she finds it enjoyable.
"You make friends and you get to dress up," said the North Middle School student.
Dress up is an understatement. The dancers will wear makeup, don sequined outfits, and create hairdos with bobby pins, spray and mousse, all for the bright lights that illuminate the Orpheum stage.
Megan Sattizahn, 17, has been dancing ballet, tap and jazz since she was 7, and is one of the assistant teachers. She figured it took her over an hour to get gussied up for recital.
"My hair's long and curly and so it takes me an hour just to straighten it and get it into a bun," she said. "Then, it takes me another half hour to do the makeup just right."
Alexa Kreisberg, 18, is a newbie to dancing, having first embraced the world of gymnastics for 11 years.
"I started to degenerate," she said with a smile. "I think I've ruined my knees and ankles and joints."
She took up dancing with Siouxland Movement Arts three years ago because ballet and jazz was a part of her gymnast background for her floor performance.
"I love moving," the North High grad said. "This really makes me feel graceful."
It may be the first, second or even ninth recital for the dancers, but only one woman can lay claim to it being the 55th -- Shirley Dill.
Back in the 1950s, Dill began teaching lessons in her parents' basement, with her first recital at Webster School. The 1960s saw lessons move to Sunset Plaza. During the 1970s lessons continued at a site at Sixth and Jones Streets until the 1980s when 813 Pearl St. became the location for Siouxland Movement Arts.
Kids don't change much over the years, Dill said. It was their other activities that changed their approach to dance.
"Kids are so much more involved," she said. "Athletics are available for young women now, when before that wasn't an option."
More than two dozen teachers have been part of the staff of Siouxland Movement Arts. Jennifer Byrne, who took lessons with Dill, has four classes in the revue and will serve as backstage manager.
"I even taught when I was pregnant with her," she said, nodding toward her daughter Molli, another dance studio alum, who will pursue dance at Morningside College.
"I'd rather teach," Molli said of the choice of professional versus instructor. "I'd rather have my students learn dance and have the attention on them."
In addition to the attention, the dancers will realize the payoff of months of baby bumbershays, jetes and contractions, to coin the lingo of tap, ballet and jazz. Keeping an eye on the proficiency of those moves was Dill's daughter and fellow instructor, Tracy Bennett.
"It's a sickness," Bennett said of her long-time association with dance. "I've tried to be normal and take a vacation from dance. But you can't listen to a song and not start choreographing in your head."
Bennett downplayed the importance of television shows like "So You Think You Can Dance."
"It's more about the parents who see the importance of their kids having dance lessons," she said. "The reality is: If you haven't started dancing by age 10, there's no way you can compete in that show."
Even with increasing fuel and food costs, parents still enroll kids in dance, Bennett said.
"Siouxland Movement Arts has been the 'meat and potatoes' in the dance business in Siouxland," she observed. "The economy can hit tough times, but people will still put their children first and give them dance lessons. Parents are willing to do without so their kids can have lessons."
Byrne, who happened to be within earshot, quickly and vehemently agreed.
"There was a time when we had two daughters in dance and we spent $10,000 on costumes and lessons," she said.
"People say, 'We have our boat' or 'We have our motorcycle,' but these parents say, 'We have dance,' " Bennett added. "That's how important they see it."
It was a sea of black leotards, white tights and pink ballet shoes at Siouxland Movement Arts this day, as the dancers readied themselves to rehearse their pieces.
Except for seven little girls -- garbed in pink -- who sat entranced, leaning forward, heads nodding in time to the music's beat, wide-eyed in hopes of one day being one of the "big kids."
The miniature ballerinas watched intently as Junior Tap Inc. -- which recently took gold at a national meet -- exemplified the irony of the song, "I Don't Dance." The 11-to 13-year-olds snapped and crackled their tap shoes with buffalos, ball changes and brush steps.
Little was tolerated during rehearsal, as Dill, Bennett and Byrne kept a watchful eye for any misbehavior.
And despite the intriguing objects in the studio, the walls lined with mirrors, free-standing bars and the vastness of the rehearsal space, there was no hanging or swinging on the bars; no fingerprinting or kissing a mirror and no running to get into place. Dancers sat quietly, watched attentively, applauded graciously after each set, and then positioned themselves to perform.
Now it was time for pretty-in-pink, 4-to 6-year-olds to take "places" for their dance to "Chapel of Love." Sometimes a bit disoriented, sometimes a bit hesitant, the girls bravely performed their arabesques, passes and fifth positions with a few grimaces until the end when the audience was rewarded with the youngsters' brightest of smiles.
On June 14, the look will be dramatically different as tulle and ribbons, lipstick and eye shadow, ballet and tap shoes, will change the girls into elegant, refined dancers. Some may choose it as a career, said Bennett.
"We have, in the last three generations of dancers, had our share of dancers performing on Broadway, in Las Vegas, on cruise ships and at Disney," she pointed out. "Many have gone on to get college scholarships, degrees and run dance programs at the college level."
Dancers tend to think of Siouxland Movement Arts as their home away from home, Bennett mused.
"Lots of these girls live here for 14 years of their lives," she said. "They tend to come back home."
Bennett said that many former students come back to take classes in the summer, work backstage at the recital or help out with the River-Cade dance contest.
"If nothing else, they come back to visit, bring their spouses and children back to meet their 'old' dance teachers," she said. "We are now teaching the grandchildren of some of our past students."
And although a name or face might sneak by Bennett, she said Dill has a "99 percent" recognition rate of previous students.
"She is amazing," marveled Bennett of her mom. "She can tell you about the dancers, their families, where they lived, if their brother had a broken arm."
Bennett, who chairs the dance program at Morningside, said the mission of the studio has been to bring the dance experience to the area. That's done with 35 to 40 classes weekly.
Siouxland Movement Arts also houses the Siouxland Civic Dance Association's Ballet Sioux, a nonprofit dance company that trains 40 to 50 dancers yearly in classical ballet. The dance association sponsors Jazzin' Co. and Tap Inc. The three companies perform 12 to 20 times a year, in competitions, for charity events and at dance festivals. The dance association also brings in master teachers, giving dancers a chance "to work with the pros," Bennett said.
When recital day finally arrives, it begins hours before the performance with dress rehearsal. For some it will be their first time, looking out into the stage lights and the awe of the Orpheum Theatre. It's the final opportunity to refine timing, perfect make-up, lacquer stray hairs, and anchor buttons and bows.
Once dress rehearsal is done, then all that's left is five-six-seven-eight, dance, and then the roar of the crowd, which includes moms, dads, siblings, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors and friends, who may have driven a distance and set aside Saturday night, all to support their dancer and the arts.
Want to go?
What: Celebrate Dance
Who: Siouxland Movement Arts dancers
When: 6 p.m.
Date: June 14
Where: Orpheum Theatre
Cost: $15
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