Children’s dance recitals are such a big deal, especially for proud parents and grandparents. It’s a great way to showcase new skills that children develop through practicing and performing. Keeping dancers on point can be a lot of work as every school recital organizer knows. 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 on 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 bounces and waddles onto the stage. The dance is all about penguins, it’s a song about funny observations about these cold-weather birds. It’s not 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. Ellen is clearly a focused professional, while most of the dancers are on-step. 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. It left one confused girl who retrieved the hat uncertain of what to do.

An off-camera aide collects the hat from the child and 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. It’s a show of showmanship and star power that wouldn’t look out of character even for a Broadway curtain call. The moment is cut short as an adult rushes forward to pull the child back onto the stage. 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?

Recitals are great for the performers. It is a great way for kids to develop confidence and stage presence. It goes a long way to overcome their shyness. Also, the sheer amount of teamwork they require is a great way to build skills that last a lifetime.

For the parents and guardians, on the other hand, 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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Source: Dance to Evolve, Louise Monteith, Original Video,