Raven Woods, center, leads some of the campers in a step routine. It was one of four international dance routines performed at the 12th annual summer camp’s closing program Thursday morning.
Summer camp went international and their closing program was filled with international decorations and performances.
The five-week camp culminated in the closing program on Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 10 a.m. Campers ranged from the ages of 7 years old through 14 years old and were divided into four groups--7 and 8-year-olds, 9 and 10-year-olds, 11 and 12-year-olds and 13 and 14-year-olds.
The stage was decorated in both drawn and colored international decorations as well as artifacts from across the globe on loan from Mary Dugar’s family. They included things from Poland, Egypt, and an American Flag that flew over a U.S. base in Iraq.
The stage was only a back drop for the campers performances, however.
Campers performed four different dance numbers, each from a different area of the world. Before each performance, emcee Brian Cormier, who is also the site supervisor for the M. L. King Center, gave a brief history of the dance’s origins.
The 7 and 8-year-olds performed the limbo. The limbo originated on the island of Trinidad, not Hawaii like most believe. It is a celebration dance. The campers wore a beaded necklace they made during their performance.
The limbo was followed by tinikling, performed by the 9 and 10-year-old campers. Tinikling is the national dance of the Philippines. It involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles in a dance. As they danced, some of the girls in the group wore a skirt made of streamers.
Campers in the 11 and 12-year-old group followed them with a version of a traditional Chinese fan dance, using homemade butterflies, dragons and fish, three things typically found in a traditional Chinese fan dance.
The next performance came from the 13 and 14-year-olds with some 11 and 12-year-olds that accompanied them. The group performed an African step number. Raven Woods served as choreographer and also performed during the number as well. The camp later recognized her for her work during the camp.
The final performances came from the camp’s “American Idol” winners.
“We thought it would be good to end at home,” joked Cormier.
Two of the winning groups--Luxurious Barbie and Dancers for Christ--performed dance numb ers.
After all the performances, a special thanks went to both the Martin Luther King Center and the Rice Festival Building, as well as their site supervisors, Cormier and Rachel Meyer, and their staffs.
Two campers in each age group were awarded for “Best Citizenship,” “Best Sportsmanship” and “Most Improved.”
Margaret Young, summer camp director, spoke near the end of the program, saying how happy she was at how well the camp had gone again this year. She said that 184 children enrolled in the camp this year.
Many people thanked Young throughout the program saying that without her, this camp would definitely not be possible
Mayor Greg Jones was also in attendance and said that he was impressed with what he saw.
“It looks like it’s been quite a summer,” he said.
Jones also acknowledged all the sponsors that helped make the camp possible as well as several council members who were in attendance.
The finale was held at the Martin Luther King Center, located at 1725 West Hutchinson Ave. in Crowley.
Post a Comment
