The Studio Dance & Wellness will stage its third annual Christmas holiday performances this weekend (Dec. 16-17) with The Grinch.
Over the last few years, The Studio have performed Peter Pan and the Wizard of Oz, but this year the dance group will enter the world of Dr. Seuss.
With an amalgamation of three Grinch movies spanning from 1966 to 2018, the recital features elements of all three but focuses on the Illumination Studios story from 2018.
Kenley Knock spared some time during a busy dress rehearsal over the weekend to talk about the show.
“This is our third year open, and it’s our third production this year, so it’s something that we’re just going to continue forever and ever,” said Knock with a smile.
Having already done two holiday performances over the past two years, this year the group decided on doing a Christmas-themed recital in the hopes of getting more of the community involved. It was the young performers who helped pick the theme of the performance.
Knock explained how they decided on The Grinch.
“We sit them all down, and we’re like, ‘What do you guys want to do next year?’, and they all give us great ideas and we kind of narrow it down to two or three,” she said.
Depending on the age of the performers, the Knock and fellow Studio owner, Jacqui Gardner, decide on a theme that suits the whole Studio. With a full group of young dancers, The Grinch recital will have plenty of Whos for its Whoville.
The Studio has dancers ranging from age three to 17, showcasing an array of styles, disciplines, and ages.
Some of the main characters throughout the story were picked after an auditioning process.
Each dancer performed their own solo routine to be picked among the 18 recurring characters.
Once picked, the 18 dancers rehearsed for three hours every Sunday for the past several weeks.
“We put together this full length two-hour long production in nine weeks. Which is pretty crazy,” said Knock with a laugh.
“The expectation that we put on the kids is a lot, but they always rise to the occasion. It’s so impressive to see it go from like a total disaster to art onstage.”
The three shows will happen over two days this weekend. The first show on Saturday (Dec. 16) starts at 5 p.m., with the second and third shows on Sunday (Dec. 17) at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
During the evening shows, the Dance Parent Collective have licensed the events to sell alcohol before the shows and during the intermissions.
The collective raises money to help alleviate the cost of dance classes, Knock said.
With nearly 100 kids in the recital, Knock made a special point of thanking the parents on behalf of the Studio.
“A huge thank you to the parents that volunteer backstage. It couldn’t be done without them,” she said.
For tickets, check out the Studio Dance & Wellness website.