Young dancers strut their stuff at recital

The Fort Dance Studio’s year-end recital earlier this month was an overall success, director Borka Gauthier said Monday.
“I think it went well,” she noted. “Over 300-400 people showed up for the first and second shows, [and] there were approximately 115 students that were involved in the recital.”
The recital, which was entitled “Myriad of Dance,” consisted of different types of character dancing, ballet, and a countdown 2000–an array of music and dancing from 1920-2000.
Special guest appearances were made by dancer Mme. Katharine Bourgon, bagpipers Bruce Lidkea and Rob Barclay, and vocalist Alyson Booth.
Gauthier said there wasn’t one highlight that made Fort Dance Studio’s first year a success but many events added together.
“[For example], our dance party ’99, where all students were able to showcase their dancing to the entire school,” she noted.
“The jazz and tap exams and the music and drama festival, which wasn’t competitive for the first year. . . it was just to give them the experience of performing,” she added.
“This year and recital were extremely successful . . . it far surpassed anything we thought we would accomplished in the first year,” Gauthier remarked. “The amount of students we had in the first year surprised us . . . usually you start out small and get big.
“It was a nice surprise.”
Susan Chaisson, who enrolled her three children in the dance studio, said she was very impressed with the recital, and overall was very happy and thought it was worthwhile.
“I am really looking forward to next year,” she added.
“My three girls were a highlight for me, the whole thing was a real eclectic mix of dance . . . it really showed you what was out there,” she noted.
Chaisson also commended the organizers and the children for a job well done.
“It was a three-hour dance recital, the children did very well considering how long it was,” she said. “The costumes were beautiful and made by parent volunteers.
“Oh yeah, definitely I will enroll all three of my girls again,” Chaisson remarked.