YMCA Dance Students and Teachers Find Fulfillment in Annual Recitals

Every year, the annual recitals by the North Suburban School of Dance bring families and friends together to celebrate the accomplishments of young performers at the North Suburban YMCA. The 2015 iDance Recitals, scheduled for Sunday, June 14 at Glenbrook North High School, will be especially memorable for Shannon Mundorf: the performances will be the highlight of her first full year as Director of the YMCA’s Performing Arts Department. They also represent the payoff of hundreds of hours of work by Mundorf and her teaching staff.

“I love the craziness that surrounds Recital,” laughs Mundorf. “It’s fun to see the dancers get excited about taking home their costumes and finishing their dances. The iDance Recital is what our dancers work towards for the entire year, culminating in one day of performances. It shows all of the hard work the dancers, teachers, and even the parents have done beginning in September.”

One of the innovations for this year’s recitals involves the mixing of age groups in the shows, scheduled for 11:00am and 4:00pm on June 14. In past years, the school presented separate recitals for pre-K through first graders and second graders through high school. The new format includes all ages in each show, treating the audience to more variety and inspiring the youngest dancers to see what they can accomplish as they continue to study. Each show will feature performances of ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern, contemporary, poms, and musical theater routines, representing the full range of class options at the NSYMCA. About 250 students will participate, many in multiple performances. The climax of the show will be a Senior Salute number choreographed by Mundorf, featuring solo and group performances by graduating high school students.

Following the Recital, the NSYMCA North Suburban School of Dance will maintain its momentum through a variety of summer programs for all ages. As part of its summer day camp options, the Y offers Ballet, Tap and Tumble Camp for preschoolers as well as its Cheer, Poms and Dance camp for school aged children. Senior students can maintain and improve their skills in summer technique classes for ballet, jazz, and contemporary. To accommodate busy summer schedules, the Y offers a drop-in punch card option so students can take five class sessions at their convenience. Mundorf and her team are also already planning for the fall, with new beginner classes for teens in ballet, jazz and tap added to their full repertoire of classes.

Looking back on her first year as Program Director, Mundorf feels great satisfaction and excitement about the future. “It has been a blast this year working with all the dancers in classes and establishing a closer relationship with the parents. It’s fun to see dancers move through the levels and watch how they mature as dancers,” she notes. “This year was especially fun, being a first year director. I was able to take charge and really do things in a way that sets up the program for future growth.”

The iDance recitals, presented on June 14 at Glenbrook North High School at 11:00am and 4:00pm, are free of charge and open to the public. For more information about dance instruction at the YMCA’s North Suburban School of Dance, visit www.nsymca.org.

About the North Suburban YMCA

The YMCA is a not-for-profit entity and relies on donations to make services available for all families and individuals in its 15-city region. All board members are volunteers, who donate their time, talents and financial resources. Located at 2705 Techny Road in Northbrook, the YMCA has served the northern suburbs of Chicago for over 45 years. The Y is about youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, providing programs and services that address the needs of our diverse community and are accessible to all. For more information or to make a donation, contact Barb Flanagin at 847-272-7250 or bflanagin@nsymca.org, or visit www.nsymca.org.

Photo Caption: Shannon Mundorf (left) helps a Jazz class polish their routine in preparation for the North Suburban School of Dance recital on June 14.