The recital is the core event at Brenda’s Body Shop every year. Over four decades, students have taken the stage and proudly performed for their families and friends. The show offers dancers an end goal for their weekly commitment and hard work in their classes throughout the year. The costumes, music, routines, and performance create anticipation and excitement. The shows have aged well, always incorporating new methods and technologies but never losing the traditions and connections with our dancers and audience. Many families have created their traditions around recitals, creating their core memories.
The evolution of the recital has included changing venues like Southern and Northern High School, Garrett College, and Potomac State College. In 2006, our first year at Meyersdale High School was our first year at the facility, and it has been home to our recital ever since. The climate control, seating capacity, and technical efficiency are unmatched by any other venue in the area. In the early days, we didn’t have the internet and resources for costuming, so fortunately, we could tap into the talents of Francey Clark and Barb Rush, who made so many of our earliest costumes.
Our recital is not a typical dance recital and always incorporates a strong storytelling theme. Our dancers remain throughout the show, and everyone performs in a heartwarming finale. This concept was important to me as I remember as a child being in a recital, and the audience would not remain for the entire show, so if you were near the end, your performance felt less stimulating with a sparse audience. Our finale provides a unified feeling and inclusion for each dancer. The visual impact of the entire cast proudly wearing their recital tee shirt depicting all their names on the back is quite a moment for pause. After the finale, the older students take the hand of a younger dancer, and they all sit tightly on the front end of the stage, ready to enjoy our year-in-review slide show. One of my all-time favorite memories of this moment was the year we chose the song “Let It Go” from the movie Frozen. In a spontaneous reaction, the entire cast joined in and belted out the song until the end. It was amazing!
I have learned a lot producing 44 shows, and when I look back at my early recitals, I chuckle at the learning curves. I quickly learned to adhere to a timeline that didn’t exceed 3.5 hours from start to finish. It’s funny how we implement the values we are taught as children. You can thank my grandmother for instilling the importance of being punctual. I take great pride in our shows, which always start on time. I think if they started late, it would cause me to break out in hives.
In 2008, we introduced senior solos. They each participate in the process of music and costume selection. Our seniors are always highlighted somewhere on our set or backdrop. They all enjoy a professional photo shoot with acclaimed artist Laura Stutzman. They learn so much, and this process is such a unique experience. The pride they feel when they see themselves as art is so much fun. At the recital, we do a slide show tribute and offer a gift to recognize the commitment and dedication of each of our seniors. We always enjoy the sentimental feeling of their performances, and our younger students are always inspired. The final perk of this tradition is for their families to receive reserved seats in the front center of the auditorium.
In 2010, we added one of my most cherished traditions, the ladies' dance. We decided you do not have to be a child to enjoy dancing and performing. For two months every spring, a group of women dust off their dance shoes, stretch out their tight muscles, learn choreography, and create their costumes. The journey has so much laughter and joy that the performance is just the cherry on top. We typically use a character theme to allow for ease in choreography and costuming. We have danced the Can, Can, Bollywood, Tribal, Tina Turner, performed a 50’s theme, and even a spoof of Weird All to “Like a Surgeon.” Regardless of the theme, a showstopper always brings the audience much joy.
This year, we added a new tradition called Bloom. This new program allows Grandparents to participate in their grandchildren’s dance education. We don’t want to give away any surprises at this new tradition, so be looking for it in this year’s show.
On the technical side, instruction, lighting, set, and sound, we have always been blessed with amazing people to assist.
Since we have found our home at Meyersdale High School, we are fortunate to have Jim Johnson share his talents with us every year in the light and sound booth. His help is often from students from Meyersdale, whom he recruits and mentors to learn the ropes of production.
The other constant for over two decades now is the enjoyment I get from working with the talents of my friend and local artist Laura Stutzman. We often enjoy lunches together, and the creative sessions and results she creates add to the show’s professionalism. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the professional input of our videographer, Greg Honeycut (Commercial Video). Greg has been filming our recital for over three decades. He captures and records all our performances and hard work so we might have a cherished keepsake. I look forward to one day taking time and watching each of these works of art.
One silent hero who has been there since the first recital is my husband, Pete. He helps and supports hauling props, building props, putting up the set, and tearing down the set. He takes the tickets to the door and stands in the back of the auditorium with a smile of pride as he witnesses the performances and sees all the ideas he has had to hear about throughout that year. Two other men deserve a shout-out. Dave Taylor donates flowers to our Boundless Energy Dance Team yearly to sell as a fundraiser; his support and generosity are unwavering. Two years ago, we recruited Alissa’s husband, Jeff Gank, to do a lot of our tech work, and he has been brilliant. We are not letting him go ever!
The growth that comes from producing a recital is not just for the performers. Our staff continues to navigate lesson plans and routines that feature students of all shapes, sizes, and abilities, no easy task. I’m so lucky to have a team of women who genuinely have a passion for kids and love to dance. I invite you to read our instructor profiles to learn more about each. I continue to grow from mentoring younger instructors and constantly raising the bar on creative and technical features. I never want to lose that feeling of adrenaline and slight fear our students experience on stage, so each year, I make it a point to do a welcome address. Public speaking is never accessible, and it keeps me humble.
After four decades of recitals, it is fun to witness former students’ enjoyment as their child embarks on their dance journey. You can see the pride and nostalgia that often follows.
Each of my children was also part of the recitals growing up. Morgan learned to be independent backstage at a young age because I was too busy to help her. She often knew the perks and perils of being the dance teacher's daughter, like taking an accessory from her to give to another student. But there were perks, like being in every class possible. My son Pete was super creative and handy in that he built our entire set at age 12, an impressive two-sided fold-out cruise ship. One side depicted an island, and it opened like a book to transform into a cruise ship. Zak tolerated his time in the boy's gymnastics classes to anxiously transition to sports. All three of them learned what mom’s job was by participating. This year has come full circle as my grandson Sawyer will perform in his first recital with the boy's gymnastics class. My oldest grandson, Alex, who lives in Bridgeport, has made a few cameo appearances when we could creatively figure out how to incorporate a role for him. Next year, we need to get the middle grandson Levi on stage, who is probably the best showman of the three.
Our program has grown exponentially over the years, and I hope that the traditions prevail long after my tenure ends.