15-Member BHS Dance Line Gets Performance Season Moving
By Julie Perine on August 07, 2012
It’s day two for the Bridgeport High School Danceline, which began training yesterday with an instructor provided by AmeriDance/Eastern Dance Association.The on-site, two-day camp takes place at the high school and is a good jump start to the performance season, said Danceline Coach Cindy Timms Pulice.
“It’s kind of like a boot camp. They send us new material and introduce the girls to some new dance skills,” she said. “It exposes them to new moves and turns and kind of pushes them a little bit.”
At yesterday’s practice, the 15-member team learned both pom and jazz routines. Today and in the coming days and weeks, the team will perfect those dances, as well as work on hip hop and kick routines. During the school year, the group performs at girls and boys soccer, JV and freshman football and basketball games. They are also gearing up for competition, which takes place in January.
Because of injuries, the team did not compete during the 2011/12 school year, but barring unforseen circumstances, they plan to participate this year, Pulice said.
Members of the 2012/13 BHS Danceline are seniors/captains, Chiara Pulice, Carrington Riggs and Alexandra Mazza; juniors, Tristan Quinones, Tia Reppert and Rebecca Turnbull; sophomores, Amelia Cava, Kylie Frame, Megan Blount and Taryn P.; and freshmen, Katie Mossburg, Emily Oldaker, Emily Trickett, Sarah Reppert and H
annah Stolzenfels.The team was chosen near the end of the 2011/12 school year by out-of-county judges, Pulice said.
The girls started meeting Aug. 1 to prepare for the year, which also includes some holiday performances, including the annual Light Up Night in downtown Bridgeport.
They have even gotten a jump start on that.
“We’ve learned our Christmas pom routine, which is crazy, but we like to learn it early, then put it on the back burner and start working on competition,” Pulice said. “When Light Up Night rolls around, we can just review it.”
In addition to their AmeriDance/EDA instructor - a graduate of Ohio State University - choreography assistance will be provided by Albert Altovilla of Annabel Timms School of Ballet.
Altovilla will be helping the team with the open portion of its competition preparation. A graduate of Robert C. Byrd High School, Altovilla is a former Nutcracker with the studio’s signature holiday performance. He recently returned to the area after pursuing a dance career, working on the Disney Cruise Line and in New York City.
Photos by Ben Queen. www.benqueenphotography.com
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