By Mike Donahue
Moapa Valley Progress
All 184 students at Ute V. Perkins Elementary School in Moapa, from early childhood classes all the way up to 5th grade, performed for hundreds of parents last Friday afternoon in the school’s annual Spring Dance Festival.
The students drilled, tapped, clapped and boogied in a lively outdoor spring celebration that ended when parents, grandparents or other family members joining 5th graders in a colorful Maypole dance.
Each grade performed its own dance to individualized music with early childhood students celebrating with Tap Your Toe; kindergarteners doing the Macarena, and 1st graders doing a stylized hat dance. Second graders took the audience to the 1950s with La Bamba while 3rd graders brought it back to the 80s with an interesting techno-styled safety dance. Fourth graders performed flawlessly with bamboo poles in a national dance of the Philippines called tinikling.
The Perkins Flag Drill Team, under the direction of music teacher Vince Dasal, performed to a rousing number with flags and banners while the Patriot Rockers did a compelling routine that enthralled the audience.
Students practiced and rehearsed relentlessly over the past few months to perfect their numbers, said Ken Paul, Perkins principal. The drill team and Patriot Rockers have been working all year.
Paul thanked the nearly 60 volunteers who helped make the annual celebration a success and honored Amy Levanger, this year’s PTA president, who was presented with a rose bush that will be planted on school property next to the others of past PTA presidents in tribute to their service.
