Dream Girls and Boys was the second in a series of year-end recitals from the Coast Academy of Dance (CAD) presented at the Chatelech Secondary School Theatre last weekend.
The first half of the series, held the previous weekend, featured the younger dancers in a variety of styles. The total number dancing included more than 300 students with approximately 60 of them performing in both shows.
The second show showcased the work of more advanced dancers, and the results were eye popping for staging, costumes, skill and entertainment quality. The pre-professional dancers, the dream girls, opened the show in a lovely understated piece, Le Reveille, choreographed by CAD's director Julie Izad. The advanced dancers did not disappoint in their other genres, both jazz and lyrical, particularly two of them, Allie Powell and Shelby Pudek, performing in a modern dance piece, Listen, choreographed by Christina Fitchett. Deborah Izad, Dionne McKenzie, Powell and Pudek also danced in the second half opener, L'Ultimo Momento.
The dream boys, who don't always capture the spotlight in female dominated recitals, were out in force showing their muscular abilities during several numbers. Somebody to Love incorporated difficult lifts performed well.
Tap appeared popular with the teens and with older dancers. Other highlights included a great audience pleaser, the acrobatics class, in which students hurtled themselves in cartwheels across the stage and demonstrated pretzel-like abilities. The large class of performance song and dance (choreographed by teacher Pamela Fulkerson) was also fun in that they sung live over a recording of themselves - to a fast-paced dance set. Perhaps one of the most ethereal pieces was Moon Dreams by the pointe (ballet) class. The young women: Laurence Beauvais, Holly Beckmyer, Misca Birklein-Lagasse, Ivana Cappelletto, Julie Izad, Tegan Jackson, Kiri MacGregor and Shelby Pudek looked stunning and danced flawlessly.
Fitchett, a soloist, was splendid in Street Lights, but the soloist who stole the show was ballerina and future CAD instructor Kathleen Holmes, who performed Cinderella's Variation at the Ball in the classic Russian style.
The acting classes tried to hold their own in a dance-oriented show. Unfortunately their voices could not be heard very well, but their skit was saved by one young performer who shyly moved downstage to sing a lovely song, bringing the cast with her. They finished on a high note.
Coast Academy of Dance begins classes again in mid-September.
