Greenbelt Dances!

November’s Artful Afternoon program opened with a Greenbelt Dance Studio recital during which a dozen or so excited and energetic little girls wearing sequined silver headbands and skirts—performed a routine. “Miss Angella” called out steps and counted out beats as her students entertained for the Greenbelt Dances! Expo.

Angella Foster, Artistic Director of alight dance theater and Greenbelt’s Director of Studio Dance Instruction, explained that a minute of dance performance represented several hours of preparation. The sparkly little girls were followed by Foster’s beginning ballet students, who demonstrated the port de bras for the audience in the Greenbelt Community Center,

For the lucky student, years of dance study can pay off not only in a lifelong love of dance, but in the chance to dance with a troupe such as alight, where original work is created. But dance isn’t just meant to be studied intensively by the select few and appreciated as a spectator event by everyone else.

Artful afternoon showcased many ways to experience dance—original performances of dance theater; dance fitness workouts; social folk dancing groups; or groovin’ and movin’ at a community dance party. At the Expo—organized by Foster, with help from the Community Center staff and many volunteers—you could do all of these things!

During the Expo, alight performed selections from “Speechless,” followed by a preview of “Truth Be Told,” which will premiere at Washington D.C.’s Dance Place in January 2012 and at the Greenbelt Arts Center in February 2012.

Dancing Entertainment with Opportunities Beyond Expo

Put on your dancing shoes. You can still get involved in many of the organizations that entertained at the Expo

Dancing is fitness: Chelsea Calhoun of Groove Dance Fitness taught audience members “Ultimate Groove” dance workouts. The S.I.T.Y Stars Double Dutch team—local and award-winning schoolchildren—demonstrated intricate jump rope routines incorporating cartwheels, splits, and break dance moves.

Dancing is social: Dancers from the University of Maryland and the St. Columba’s Scottish Country Dance Group performed couples’ dances. Their Tuesday night dances at the Community Center do not require a partner and new dancers are welcomed. The Greek Folk Dancers, who meet Sunday afternoons at the Community Center, also invite new members to learn Greek line dancing.

Dancing is fun: The Expo ended with the People’s Dance Party, the inspiration of Cynthia Newcomer, who urged everyone to join this party—and get out there and MOVE! Partygoers danced to “The Notorious PhD-Jay’s” eclectic music selection, and the ecstatic twirling children reminded adults how to “dance as if no one were watching you!”