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Follow the adventures of the Annapolis Middle School Dance Company on their trip to perform in the 2011 Orange Bowl in Florida. Julie L. Kizer Ball is the mother of one of the dancers, Mary Virginia, and a chaperone on the trip.The big day has arrived for the Annapolis Middle School Dance Company who will perform during the half-time show of the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl after months of planning and preparation. This morning, the group rode with dancers from Simon Kenton High School in Ohio on a bus to Davie, FL, for the dress rehearsal. The 10-mile drive was subdued as some dancers rode with their eyes closed, while others lip-synced to their iPods or chatted with the dancer sitting next to them. The dress rehearsal on the Nova High School football field lasted until noon as parents and chaperones watched, …
The Annapolis Middle School (AMS) Dance Company spent 9 hours in rehearsal at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center on their third day in Florida. They rehearsed the two dances they'd already learned during after-school rehearsals in December. The choreography was tweaked and polished since this was the first time the hundreds of dancers practiced together. They will perform when the Goo Goo Dolls sing "Slide" and "Notbroken" during the half-time show of the Discover Orange Bowl.The AMS dancers returned to the hotel at 6 p.m., mostly exhausted but definitely hungry. After dinner, some…
The Annapolis Middle School (AMS) Dance Company started the first day of the new year in Florida, eating breakfast at the hotel before they walked to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center. During the brisk, 8-minute walk, they passed a cruise ship just as the sun was peeking over the bridge. AMS dance teacher, Kendra Smith, and AMS teacher/chaperone, Christina Shimko, joined the 12 sleepy, yet eager, dancers for a day of dance clinics with professional choreographers. About 650 student dancers from around the country (and one group from Canada) were taught classes that ranged …
Our flight and descent were uneventful as far as anyone else would be concerned. However, this mom traveling with 12 dancers headed to Florida to perform at the Orange Bowl half-time show knows a different story. There were many excited giggles and gleeful conversations from the Annapolis Middle School Dance Company. Two dancers had never flown before (and there were no worries) and several had never been to Florida. It goes without saying that none of the kids have ever performed on a stage in front of thousands, live and on national television. The excitement was palpable, for sure. …
