On Thursday the L.V. Rogers Secondary School dance program will be performing at the Capitol Theatre in the collaborative showcase Movement 2011 and Theatre Alive.
Students will be performing choreography by dance teacher Jen MacMillan, Josh Beamish, and student-choreographed solos and group pieces.
The evening will also include some student-directed work from the senior acting class, and a silent auction to raise funds for Project Turquoise Snowflake, the feature film being produced at the school.
Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are currently for sale through the Capitol Theatre box office, and will be available at the door ($12 for adults, $7 for students, and children six and under are free). Dancers will also be performing at a $2 matinee on Friday at 12:45 p.m.
Dance classes have been offered since the spring of 2001 through the Kootenay Lake school district. Students in the dance program attend classes four days weekly and train in ballet, modern, jazz, and hip hop. LVR’s dance company is a performance-based ensemble that meets three hours weekly outside the timetable.
Beyond technique, dance education at LVR includes developing a theoretical base in dance history, literacy, health, anatomy, careers related to dance and choreography.
Students have also had the opportunity to travel, attend performances in Vancouver, view dance classes in action at SFU, and take classes from some of the best in the industry.
The program also draws guest instructors from dance companies including Dancers Dancing, Ballet Kelowna, Ballet Jorgen, Ballet BC, the Margie Gillis Foundation and MOVE: the company.
Some of this year’s highlights include placing first at Pleasant Valley Secondary’s “Adrenaline” dance competition, and touring at local schools in preparation for their year-end showcase.
As the show nears, excitement mounts and the studio is buzzing with enthusiasm and hard work. From ballet to hip-hop, the showcase is diverse and entertaining, focused on presenting social and global issues through the medium of dance.