Dance Studio Virginia Baech - Golden Slippers

I KNEW my 5-year-old granddaughter was taking dance classes. I knew she was having a great time, and that eventually my presence would be required at her end-of-the-year recital.
I pictured Ciera on stage in a school gym, similar to the setting of my sister's recital so many years ago, and I figured I would be mildly entertained but very happy with my budding ballerina - and happy to provide the obligatory applause at the end of each and every routine.
Then my wife informed me that Ciera's recital would be at Chrysler Hall - at $18 per ticket.
"Are they out of their minds?" I asked. They're having a kids' dance recital at Chrysler Hall? Surely they are able to come up with a less elaborate venue cheaper price.
But that shows just how much I knew regarding the talent and capabilities of Susan Browney and her staff at Golden Slippers Dance Academy.
What I saw last weekend was considerably more than your average recital. Not only was it worth the cost of the ticket price, but it was as professional a production as I have ever witnessed in that building.
The students ranged in age from preschool through high school, and the performances - 30 overall - offered great variety, from show tune dances to complex ballet and Broadway-style choreography.
The theme, "In Memory Of," honored performers and musicians throughout the years, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Princess Diana. There were moments when we all laughed, and there were moments that brought the toughest tough guys to tears.
Emcee Joe Flanagan of WVEC-TV entertainingly portrayed Janis Joplin, Buddy Holly, Liberace, Alfred Hitchcock and Elvis, and others.An additional treat was a number by graduates whose children are now enrolled - as well as Browney and some of her staff. Some, the announcer said, had not been on a stage in 25 years - but you might never know that based on the caliber of the performance.
Indeed, Browney was being modest when she called this a recital, which is somewhat like calling the Super Bowl a scrimmage. It was, in each and every sense of the word, a true production - complete with the music, choreography and engineering.
Having been a musician most of my life and having occupied the orchestra pit during a few amateur productions, I know the discipline and hard work it takes to get ready for a performance. It takes a dedicated staff as well as students prepared to devote hours of practice and parents that will make the necessary sacrifices.
Even the youngest children were well choreographed, taking direction from their leaders in the orchestra pit. More than their skill level, which was impressive by itself, I appreciated that the kids were enjoying themselves.Considering the distractions they've got these days, all the outlets for entertainment - not just TV and radio, but also video games and iPods and myriad opportunities for time on the couch - these kids are getting mental and physical stimulation. They're learning discipline. They're becoming poised and developing stage presence.
In this day and time, when we hear so much about how undisciplined our society is, it's reassuring to see so many of our young folks willing to work so hard. These kids will do well in life because they're learning at an early age what it takes - one step at a time.