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Dance, dance, dance! Sacramento County Fair, May 6, 2005:
Students from Caroline Wenzel Elementary School, Rosemont High School, John F. Kennedy High School, Elder Creek Year Round School, Luther Burbank High School, Hollywood Park Elementary School, and Jedediah Smith Elementary School staged high energy dance performances at the Sacramento County Fair. In addition, students from Theodore Judah, Jedediah Smith, and Freeport Elementary Schools presented paintings and collages.
Accompanying some of the dance performances was the Coyote Contra Band. Bob O'Brien, Bill Trainor and Andy Alexis led 48 (!) students from Caroline Wenzel School in circle and line dances. Traditional american folk dances flowed smoothly with the accompaniment of guitar, fiddle and banjo. In the past, folk dances represented a very important opporunity for the rural community to get together. "The most challenging thing was the number of kids; with so many it was hard to make them cooperate and to pay attention",- said Bob O'Brian. " But at the end everything fell into place." "The kids were very motivated and worked hard on their dancing since January," added Suzanne Odekirk, a special education teacher.
Click here to see our on-line photo gallery of the dancers!
Last preparations: Alice Parente (center), the Executive Director of VSAarts California, talks with Alice Twilla (left), VSAS hip-hop artist, and the emcee before the program begins
The Coyote Contra Band is ready to jig
