Alden’s drama and dance programs take center stage

ALDEN - It was a night of music, dance, and art at Alden High School when the Alden Recreation Department shined the spotlight on their drama, dance, and art programs on Thursday, Aug. 2.

The evening began at six with two productions of musical medleys. The first group performed select songs from “Seussical the Musical”, followed by a second group showcasing tunes from the popular television show “Glee”.

“There are two different groups for drama, and they’ve been working for six weeks doing different Dr. Seuss and Glee songs,” said Diane Congdon, assistant to the director at the Alden Recreation Department. “The kids do a play type performance through song and dance.”

Each year the Alden Recreation Department’s drama supervisor, Julia Wallace, decides which productions and songs the classes will perform according to Congdon. The participants then have six weeks to learn the songs and the dance numbers before taking the stage.

Congdon said that this year the drama program began June 25 and ended Aug. 3 with a small party for the participating children.

Following the musical performances, the department’s dance program hosted their recital. The dance classes include different styles such as jazz, acro, which combines dance and acrobatics, and tap.

“Tap dancing is new to our program this year,” Congdon said. “There are different age groups and different classes ranging from pre-K up through high school. Each class has their own number they perform at the recital.”

Congdon said the dance classes are overseen by dance supervisor Danielle Drogi. For the first two weeks, the children learned different dance techniques and routines before they started working on a final routine on July 9.

The department’s Mostly Clay classes also had a chance to shine as their work was displayed on tables in the hallway of the high school. Those classes met for three-week sessions where they created clay pieces, which were later fired in a kiln, then painted and glazed.

The event successfully provided entertainment for the family, but also taught the participating children new skills.

“I think they learn a lot. Not only do they learn how to sing and dance, but they also learn sportsmanship and how to be a team,” Congdon said. “The staff and the kids really worked hard on these productions, and we’re really excited about the results.”