VIDEO: How to Dance the Aquarellen Waltz (Strauss Festival)

Some Elk Grove residents will likely visit the Strauss Festival for the first time this weekend, but for many of the performers the annual show is far from new.

Jonathan Thurston, a Davis resident who is a Strauss dancer and choreographer, will be performing for his 10th year. 

"I just love the show," Thurston, a biochemical engineer, said. "I love being on stage. I'm kind of a ham."

, a dance and orchestra production that pays homage to Austrian composer Johann Strauss and his family, runs Thursday through Sunday at 's Strauss Island. A procession of the dancers begins at 7:45 p.m., and the show starts at 8:15. Admission is free and parking is $10.

Thurston's dance partner, Sheryl Draper, has been performing in the festival for 19 years. She started out in the acrobatic Polka Troupe, and this year will dance the Aquarellen Waltz with Thurston.

"It's an opportunity to dress up and be something spectacular and entertain a lot of people," Draper said during a recent practice.

Want to know what the Aquarellen Waltz looks like and what goes into performing a waltz? Watch Thurston and Draper practice in the video above.

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For an exclusive video sneak peek at the Polka Troupe's energetic and upbeat dances, visit the Elk Grove Patch Facebook page.

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Will you be attending the Strauss Festival this year? Let us know in the comments section below.

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