Everyone knows that the best way to learn about something is by making it interactive. This is especially true for kids. But when you’re teaching kids about wildlife a world away, how can you do that?
By dancing, of course!
Dance recitals are not just entertaining, but they are a great way to develop new skills in children. But as every school recital organizer knows, keeping dancers on point can be a lot of work. But when it all comes together just right, you get something magical and fun, like the recital in this video.
Walk like a penguin
The video opens with a short title card that introduces us to Ellen, the tall rightmost dancer in the front row, far right. The recital performance was recorded in 2008 and you can just picture the cameraman, who we can assume is one of Ellen’s parents, beaming with pride.
The video begins with music playing as a group of young girls bounce and waddles onto the stage. The dance is all about penguins, sharing funny observations about these cold-weather birds. It may not be as informative as Animal Planet, but it’s sure to bring a smile to your face.
The dancers form a line and perform ballet steps and kicks together as the music plays. While most of the dancers are on-step, Ellen is clearly a focused professional. As one comment points out, she never missed a beat and even helps her fellow dancers keep up with the music during the harder steps.
The girls eventually come together to form a circle to perform a bounding circular step. One child loses her top hat during this part of the show. But that doesn’t stop her from staying true to the act, even as one confused girl retrieves the hat uncertain what to do.
But after an off-camera aide collects the hat from the child, the penguin troupe reconvenes to dance and bounce for the rest of the show. It’s a great conclusion to a fun little recital. The children then reform a line and step off stage, waddling all the way.
There’s always a post-credits scene
The video goes on to show when the girls come back to the stage. It’s close to the end of the show and we can see adults stepping out from behind the curtains handling props and scenery. The penguins are seated on the stage in the foreground looking on.
But one of the penguins reaches out, presumably to wave or interact with a member of the crowd. This shows showmanship and star power that wouldn’t look out of character for a Broadway curtain call. The moment is cut short as an adult rushes forward to pull the child back onto the stage, because Safety First.
The video closes with a brief shot of another one of the recital managers, looking proudly at the performers, including the crowd-favorite Penguin Performers.
What’s to love about recitals
We mentioned earlier why recitals are great for performers. They are a great way for kids to develop confidence and stage presence, which goes a long way to decreasing shyness. The sheer amount of teamwork they require are also a great way to build skills that last a lifetime.
But for parents and guardians of recital participants, recitals are a wonderful way to see your children’s talents. Even if your child isn’t participating in a specific show, it’s always fun to see blooming creativity and talent.
Have you been to a recital recently? Would you take part in one if you could?
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