by Nathan Boddy
With the end of the school year comes the big night for many Bitterroot Valley dancers and performers. Over the next two weekends, and again in June, Groovz Studio of Dance and Fitness will be showcasing the hard earned skills of their dancers at recitals in Victor and Hamilton. The end of the season recitals give the dancers an opportunity to place their skills before an appreciative audience. Michelle Post, owner of Groovz, says, “The talent that these kids have will blow your mind. It’s really amazing. They are all so passionate and they’ve worked really hard.”
Post started Groovz Studio of Dance and Fitness in 2009, and has seen it grow substantially over the last 14 years. She began with a small gathering of 30 students practicing in the basement of a local church, but now gives instruction to over 250 in her Hamilton location, and another 100 in Stevensville.
“It’s been quite the growth and quite the journey,” says Post about the growth of Groovz. She also acknowledges the benefit that artistic and physically demanding performance can have within a community.
“I personally believe that dance is very therapeutic to people of all ages,” says Post. “We have dancers from age 2 all the way up to 92. Just the competence it builds in kids is huge. They learn to be a part of a community of accepting, nurturing and talented instructors and kids around them.”
The training and rehearsals are an important component of what dance students gain, but the recitals are also very important.
“Something just clicks inside kids sometimes,” she says. “It lights a fire in them, like they are proving to themselves that they can do it. It takes a lot of guts and bravery to get up there on that stage.”
The first recital will be held on May 12th at 6:30 p.m. at the Mary Stuart Rogers Performing Arts Center in Victor. That recital will showcase solo/duo/trio performances and is free to the public, although donations are greatly appreciated.
On May 17th and again on May 18th, ‘Legends and Icons’ will take the stage at the Hamilton Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m. each evening. The identical shows will spotlight the talents of 235 dancers and a multitude of styles. Tickets for the shows are currently on sale, and expected to sell out quickly.
The Stevensville recital will take place on Friday, June 9th at 6 p.m. and Saturday, June 10th at 3 p.m. in Victor. The reserved seating will be available shortly.
For more information about the recitals, tickets, and to see the schedule for the summer program which is now available for registration, visit: https://www.groovzdance.com.