By Stephanie Bunker

Moapa Valley Progress

Early Childhood Education students dance to “Twist” at the Perkins Spring Dance Festival held on the school playground last week. Photo by Stephanie Bunker.

The Perkins Elementary School playground in Moapa was crowded with parents and children on Friday night for the school’s annual Spring Dance Festival. Kids were running around excitedly advertising the school’s bake sale and selling water before the Festival began.

When it was time to begin, school principal Ken Paul welcomed the crowd. He recognized two teachers that would be retiring this year: Mary Hauver and Lori Flynn. Paul applauded the two teachers who have given much of their time and talents to the school over the years.

In this year’s festival, each teacher was in charge of putting the dance together for their class. Fourth grade teacher Carrie Leete was the organizer of the overall program.

A couple of groups are standing dance squads for the school and get together 30 minutes before school once a week to practice. These groups are the Show Group Flag Team, Patriot Rockers, Dynamite Dance Team, and Show Group Clinkers. Leslie May and Vince Dasal choreographed the dances and worked with the kids.

The Perkins Elementary School Show Group Tub Drummers beat in rhythm to “Dance”. Photo by Stephanie Bunker.

The Show Group Flag Team started the evening off on a Patriotic foot as they waved their flags to “Grand Ol’ Flag”.

The Patriot Rockers, directed and choreographed by Leslie May, then came out with baseball bats as props and did a routine to the song, “I Don’t Dance”.

The hearts of the audience melted when the Early Childhood Education Program children walked out onto the blacktop and grooved to the song “Twist.”

The Show Group Clinkers and Tub Drummers came out next to wow the audience with their sense of rhythm.

Perkins Kindergarteners showed the crowd how to count to 100 while doing work-out moves to the “Chicken Dance.”

The Kindergarten class at Perkins Elementary perform a workout dance to the “Chicken Dance”. Photo by Stephanie Bunker.

Then it was the Show Group Dynamite Dance Team’s turn. They danced to the song, “Dynamite.” The routine was choreographed by Perkins students Kali Romero and MaKae Pulsipher.

The school’s second graders could be spotted wherever they went in their gingham costumes. Susan Pulsipher did a great job again this year making each of her students’ costumes. They fit perfectly with the class’s square dance to, “Goin Down to Cairo.”

The 4th grade kids stuck with the tradition of Tinikling. They also tapped to the song, “Ya’ll Ready For This.” Natalie Staheli drilled them on the Tinikling.

The 1st graders danced to the “Hippy-Hippy Shake.”

Then came the poodle skirts and leather jackets on the 3rd graders who danced to “Happy Days.”

The Perkins Elementary Show Group Clinkers perform to the song, “Dance”. Photo by Stephanie Bunker.

The last performance was Braiding the May Pole with the 5th graders. After the 5th grade kids finished braiding, they invited their parents to come braid it with them. We’ll just say that the kids did a better job than the parents. But everyone had fun.