The town of Rangeley was packed to capacity this last Friday night. Cars parked down both sides of Main Street from ‘Sarges’ to the post office, and down Lake Street into the park. One might have thought it was some sort of holiday, some town wide celebration- and it was, in a way. A celebration of hard work, dedication, and the art of dance.  It was opening night of the Lakeside Dance Academy’s Spring Recital.

Sponsored by The Rangeley Friends of the Arts and hosted at the RFA Lakeside Theater, the venue was even more packed than the street outside. Fifteen minutes to show time, people were turned away from the door and asked to come back for the next night’s performance. The theater was full of proud parents, distracted siblings, excited art enthusiasts, and the occasional fussy baby. The crowd created an atmosphere only found at the best of live performance art, and managed to hype the experience of a performance that one could only call a triumph of the Lakeside Dance Academy and the woman who runs it.

Pamela Ellis has been running The Lakeside Dance Academy for 35 years, and every year, the final recital only seems to improve. This years spring recital was created with the hard work of Lily Webacki, who teaches the tiny tots basic movement, Justin Orazi, a wizard working the stage lights, Valerie Zapolsky on sound and other media, a host of proud volunteers who handle everything from hair and costume backstage to the bulletins that get passed out at the door, and finally, Pamela Ellis who teaches dance year round and who choreographed 90% of the show. What a show it was.

Highlights included dances with the new “dance chairs”, purchased this last year with a charitable donation by the George Ramlose Foundation, an Irish jig done with tap shoes, a tap dance to “Walking in Memphis” and a ballet done by her older students that took your breath away to “Across the Universe” by the Beatles. One hip hop student lightened the mood with a fun piece to “Beverly Hills” by Weezer, while younger dance students made everyone smile with movements to songs like “In My Life” by the Beatles, “Lights” by Journey, and “Africa” by Toto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crowning achievement of the night was the two Senior Solos, performed and choreographed by graduating seniors Emmarae MacFawn and Ella Shaffer. Miss MacFawn performed an inspiring tap dance to “Footprints on the Moon” by Gabby Barrett, that blended graceful elongated movements, fast paced exciting tap steps, and inspiring lyrics into a performance that made you want to stand up and cheer for more as she finished. Miss Shaffer, on the other hand, choreographed a story on stage to “Raining in Baltimore” that had even the fussiest babies spellbound into silence, and the adults reaching for tissues. Their performances will not be forgotten any time soon, a tribute to both the skill of these strong young ladies and to the power art has in the lives of the young people of this community.

 

We can only hope that future live performances out of the Rangeley Friends of the Arts Lakeside Theater are as wonderfully entertaining and as well received. They certainly started this 2022 season on a high note.

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