Girls Dance the Summer Away at Recreation Camp

Eleven dancers clad in leis and ballet shoes wowed showed off the skills they learned from a week of dance camp Friday at in Middletown.

The Wonderful World of Disney was the theme for this recital, led by director Lynn Agnew and counselors Justine Spada and Jenna D’Amico, as the girls danced in time to classic songs like “Under the Sea” from "The Little Mermaid," “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from "Toy Story" and “Just Can’t Wait to be King” from "The Lion King."

On three Fridays from July 27 to Aug. 10, the Summer Dance Camp performed a mini recital for family and friends. The children, ages 5-10, spent a week learning and practicing dance routines, and director Lynn Agnew says scores of parents say they cannot believe how good the girls’ routine is after a short few days.

Dance camp runs seven weeks throughout the summer, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Between 10 and 15 dancers a week take part in rehearsals at the Snow School auditorium/stage.

A different theme is chosen week by counselors, who build dances (usually five or six) on during the course of the week by choosing songs. 

Besides dancing, the children play games like musical chairs or hit the playground, arts and crafts projects and a free lunch and snack is provided through the Community Renewal Team.

Agnew says the dancers wear homemade costumes she and the counselors make and girls are supplied with hair accessories and other trimmings so each dancer will match exactly. As long as parents approve, staff apply make-up brought in from home for each dancer. 

Girls partipating in the most recent recital were: Mia Annino, Chelsea Campos, Miranda Elak, Jenna Flynn, Jenna Griffith, Abigail Kriger, Isabella Lane, Georgia Pelto, Autumn Sankofa and Jayda Strickland; all of Middletown.

At , Agnew teaches Tap, Jazz and CardioDance classes. She started dancing at age 2 and has been teaching dance for more than 30 years. She has studied under Phil Black, Charles Kelley and Frank Hatchett.

There is one final recital Friday Aug. 10 at 2:30 p.m. at Snow School. The public is welcome.