Ali and TD are particpating in this dance festival this year. Practices have been going on since March and it has pretty much replaced mutual night and scouts during this time. The youth have been divided up with dances for each group (deacon, beehive, etc.) with the mia-maids and teachers dancing together and the laurels and priests dancing together.
For the first couple of months practices were done in each ward building with the wards that met there all participating. Then a few weeks ago it was all respective groups from the stake (all beehives at this place, all deacons at this place, etc.) getting together.
Two weeks ago it was the entire youth in the Menifee Stake getting together, and then today it was a zone practice with the Menifee, Hemit, Moreno Valley, Temecula, Riverside and Yucaipa Stakes all together. All leading toward a final dress rehearsal on the 24th of July and performances on the 25th/26th.
Easy-Ups were assembled, lots of water was on ice, and a home base for each ward was assembled.
Then away they went. I tell you So You Think You Can Dance is nothing compared to this event. Even the choreographers and judges (my favorite is the one I like to call "The Man in the Yellow Hat") are much more on top of things, and on top of the youth, then are on that show. They run them ragged. I can tell you from personal experience as well as be vouched for by the other chaperones today, that trying to control a few wanna-be dancers on TV is nothing compared to trying to control a couple of hundred deacons.
It was hot, it was hectic, but I think they had a good time even if they don't admit it.
You can see from the below picture,(you will need to double-click on the picture to actually see what is going on), that there are a lot of youth participating. Just imagine how fun it is going to be with the other half of the stakes participating show up for practice and the event. I wonder if they will really all fit on the field.
I couldn't find the entire ward in the mob, but was able to pick out a few.
Thanks to some wonderful youth today with good attitudes most of the time, and thanks to the fellow chaperones Julie, Heidi and Gomer!
2 comments:
That looks like so much fun! Way back in the olden days, I danced in a dance festival. We danced at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Oh the fun we had. I danced an irish jig and a polka. The worst part was that we had to make our own costumes. (They were really hard and had lots of ruffles and sequins. Yikes)
Wish we could be there to see it. Miss you all so much. We had so much fun while you were here!!
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