Glen Burnie High School will hold its winter dance concert at 7 p.m. Thursday with snow dates of Jan. 20 and 27.
In addition to the school’s usual mélange of dance styles including ballet, modern, jazz, tap and hip hop, the school’s Senior Company had a bit of an unlikely choreographer – the school’s vice principal, Glenna Blessing.
Dance Department Chairwoman Stacey Wirth said when Blessing ended up in charge of the Dance Department she and dance teacher Krystal Spano were excited because they knew of Blessing’s dance history at Goucher College, The Carver Center and the Annapolis Performing and Visual Arts magnet program.
“She told me, ‘If you ever want me to teach a class, I will,’” Wirth remembered. Wirth said by then, Blessing was far removed from being in the studio — something Blessing missed — so Wirth asked whether she’d like to choreograph a piece for the upcoming show.
Blessing agreed, and it wasn’t long before she had some combinations in mind when she began to work with the Senior Company.
“The kids loved working with her,” Wirth said. “It’s neat to see someone on a daily basis as a disciplinarian during school, but now she’s wearing a different hat.”
Wirth said seeing Blessing in her dance garb and in a different setting allowed the kids to bond with her in a different way.
“The rehearsals set the tone a little differently, and they see her as a human being and as a dancer — a dynamic person,” Wirth said.
Blessing’s piece is an upbeat contemporary style with a bit of a Brazilian feel. Wirth said it pushed the kids to do something different which is not necessarily in their comfort zone.
The company took the piece to the state showcase at Goucher College on Jan. 5 and will perform it again at the county’s gala festival next month.
The Senior Company is comprised of six girls and one boy. Two dancers have been technically trained since early childhood and a couple others danced in county school or recreation programs. The remainder are relatively new to dance, which offers a blend of ability and talent.
Wirth said the remainder of the school’s dance companies reflect the same sort of mixture of ability. She said the direction of the county’s dance program has moved toward training the dancers technically to raise the bar in the program.
The kids are encouraged to develop leadership skills by choreographing their own pieces. Wirth said through that they learn there’s more than simply the art of the dance — accountability and responsibility and to manage dancers.
Tickets for Thursday’s show are $7 and only are available by pre-sale. For more information, call the school and ask for Wirth at 410-761-8950.
Coffee house concert
The Saturday Night Live Coffee House Concert at North Glen Community Church, 508 W. Furnace Branch Road, will feature the Raymond Lee Band on Saturday with inspirational lyrics and thought-provoking music.
The doors will open at 7 and the concert will be 8–10 p.m. The band will offer merchandise for sale. Participants can bring a dish to share. Childcare and entertainment will be available.
For more on the band, visit http://www.raymondleeband.com. For more information about the event, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/305181303302018.
Soup and sub sale
The Ferndale United Methodist Men are taking pre-orders for their annual Super Bowl Soup and Sub Sale through Jan. 27. The men will make extras for walk-ups, but availability is not guaranteed.
The sale will feature 8-inch cold cut subs with three meats, fixings on the side and a bag of chips for $7 and soups and stews for $4 per pint or $6 per quart. Soups available will be chicken noodle, vegetable beef, Tuscan stew or chili.
Orders must be picked up following the 8 a.m. church service or between noon and 2 p.m. Feb. 4.
To place an order, contact Mike Dye at 443-569-9059 or 410-590-2314.
Bus trips
JOY — Just Older Youth — will offer several bus trips this spring.
The group will travel to the Rainbow Dinner Theater in Paradise, Pa., now known as the Rainbow Comedy Playhouse, to see “Death at the Garage Sale”. The bus will depart from the Glen Burnie parking garage at 9 a.m. and the Dundalk Moose Lodge at 9:15 a.m. March 21. The bus will return at 6 p.m. to the Moose Lodge and 6:15 to the parking garage. Cost is $80 per person.
A bus will depart the Glen Burnie parking garage at 9:30 a.m. April 6 for a trip on the glass-enclosed Odyssey for a cruise along the Potomac River and a tour of Washington, D.C. Participants can dance to live music and enjoy fine dining. The bus returns at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $98 per person.
On May 18, set out on a mystery trip. The bus departs the Glen Burnie parking garage at 6:45 a.m. and Dundalk Moose Lodge at 7 a.m.. It returns at 8:30 p.m. to Dundalk and 8:45 p.m. to Glen Burnie. Cost is $89 per person.
A $25 deposit is due at signing for day trips. Final payment is due the first day of the month prior to the trip with no exceptions.
For more information, call Neoma Dearing at 410-766-7730 or email NeomaDearing@gmail.com, or Rita Ketcham at 410-969-7449 or Ritakaye1@Verizon.net.
