Girls at Dance Oasis were rehearsing last week for their weekend recital. They are also working on a production of the musical Annie, which will be performed June 23. Photo by Richard McGuire, Osoyoos Times.
The young dancers from Dance Oasis Studios are in full swing on production of the acclaimed musical Annie this coming Sunday – just a week after many of the same dancers performed in a recital.
The presentation of Annie, set for Sunday evening at the theatre at Osoyoos Secondary School, is the culmination of more than eight months of work, says Chrissie Serry, owner of Dance Oasis.
The show is Annie Junior, an abridged version of the Broadway musical Annie, which is based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie, popular in the 1930s.
This show involves not just dance for which Dance Oasis Studios is known, as performers in this production will also sing and act.
To teach the singing and acting, they’ve brought in Lloyd Fairweather as director. Fairweather is a highly regarded vocal and acting coach in Osoyoos, Serry said.
Performers range in age from nine to 16 and there are about 30 students involved, she added.
“We’re really excited about it,” said Serry. “We’ve got great, great sets, and we’ve put a lot of work into it.”
As a separate event, a recital was held on the weekend featuring more than 60 different dances and covering a wide range of dance styles from ballet to jazz to belly dancing and hip hop.
The theme for the recent performance was “A Night at the Movies,” so music was chosen from movie soundtracks, Serry said.
The recital was also held in the mini-theatre at Osoyoos Secondary School.
Tickets for Annie are $10. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.
BY RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
