Ballston Spa Students and SPAC Join Forces for Dance Performance
Milton Terrace Elementary 5th graders dance on stage for their fellow classmates during the “Dancing Through the Decades” recital on Feb. 24. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
BALLSTON SPA — Milton Terrace Elementary students sitting criss-cross applesauce hollered and screeched in delight as 5th graders partied like it was 1999.
The scene was the result of a dance project collaboration between the Ballston Spa School District and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) that culminated in a “Dancing Through the Decades” performance on Monday.
In preparation for the recital, Milton Terrace’s 5th grade class spent ten hours learning at the feet of SPAC dancing masters Frankie Soldevere, Mike Zygo, Andre Robles, and Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius. Among the songs the students grooved to were “1999” by Prince, “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry, and “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce.
“It’s really fun and all the instructors are really happy,” said 5th grade dancer Joe Santa Barbara.
[My class] has been a little bit happier since we’ve been doing this. It’s not just like we’re going to school on Fridays just to be bored. We get to go and do the SPAC dance and it brings a little excitement into our day.”
“Dancing Through the Decades,” which celebrated African influences on American music and dance, is part of SPAC’s public school dance project that began seven years ago at the Malta Avenue Elementary.
“It started with the initiative of giving students an opportunity they may not otherwise have; introducing dance to all people and making sure that everyone knows that dance is for everybody and all bodies,” said Jill Zygo, SPAC’s director of arts in education.
“We had watched this program really take form at Malta Avenue, watched from afar and heard how wonderful it is,” said Milton Terrace Principal Kathleen Chaucer. “[The students] are getting to interact with instructors from various areas of the arts, like visual artists and dance instructors. [They’re] getting to really learn the history behind the music.”
In addition to learning dance, students at Milton Terrace also participated in a t-shirt design contest. Each 5th grader created a logo for the event, and the winner’s artwork was featured on t-shirts given out to students and other participants.
The recital itself also included a surprise performance from the elementary staff, which caused the students to erupt in excitement.
“It just makes you put a smile on your face,” said Santa Barbara.