By Eileen O. Daday
A surprising group of dancers opened the talent show on Friday for Poe Elementary School in Arlington Heights: fourth- and fifth-grade boys.
Dressed in black and sporting fedoras, they danced to Michael Jackson’s hit “Bad.” It built in intensity until they turned around wearing a sparkly white glove, and the tune shifted to “Beat It.”
At a rehearsal last week in the school’s Learning Media Center, fourth-grader Kyle Stejskal of Arlington Heights came running in with his lunchbox in one hand and his fedora in the other.
When asked if he minded giving up his recess, he smiled broadly.
“No way,” he said. “I think this is really cool.”
This was the second year the boys danced in the talent show, and again they brought down the house.
Their choreographer, Carla Cozzi of Arlington Heights, whose two sons, James and Joey, both danced with the group, was beaming with pride.
Admittedly, it was her idea last year to ramp up the school talent show, with more boys. She noticed girls outnumbered the boys onstage and she aimed to change it.
Cozzi had her motives. As a professional dancer who teaches at the Center for Ballroom and Dance in Deer Park and who has performed and choreographed shows throughout the Northwest suburbs, she wanted to expose boys to the medium early.
“These kids are all athletic; they play soccer and basketball and baseball,” Cozzi said. “But I wanted to introduce them to another side of life, with just as many benefits.
“It takes guts to put yourself out there,” she adds, “to conquer your fears and let others see a hidden talent.”
But the rewards are plenty, she adds. They start with ovations from their audience, but it goes deeper than that, Cozzi says.
“These boys are learning how to work as a team, count music, symmetry, object placement, awareness of their surroundings and working with props,” she says.
Not to mention, Cozzi adds, that they are breaking stereotypes and fighting the stigma that keeps boys from dancing, all while having fun.
Ralph Cook, principal at Poe School, agreed to the regular lunchtime rehearsals. Seeing the boys dance took him back to his own childhood, growing up the son of a dance teacher.
“It’s made me value the arts,” Cook said. “Any time you perform in front of an audience, it gives you self confidence and broadens your perspective.”
The boys rehearsed two-to-three times a week for nearly a month, giving up their lunch recess to do it. But none of them seemed to mind.
“It’s fun and it gave me a little confidence,” said fifth-grader C.J. Camporese of Arlington Heights, who also plays travel soccer.
Fifth-grader Trey Rosenberg of Arlington Heights said he was still working on getting his hand motions down. As one of the taller boys in the group, he plays soccer, basketball and baseball, but now he adds dancing to the list.
“My friends all think it’s cool,” he said.
His favorite part of the routine? Walking offstage doing the moonwalk, just the way Michael Jackson used to do.
“I hope they think it’s awesome,” Trey said.
Dressed in black and sporting fedoras, they danced to Michael Jackson’s hit “Bad.” It built in intensity until they turned around wearing a sparkly white glove, and the tune shifted to “Beat It.”
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When asked if he minded giving up his recess, he smiled broadly.
“No way,” he said. “I think this is really cool.”
This was the second year the boys danced in the talent show, and again they brought down the house.
Their choreographer, Carla Cozzi of Arlington Heights, whose two sons, James and Joey, both danced with the group, was beaming with pride.
Admittedly, it was her idea last year to ramp up the school talent show, with more boys. She noticed girls outnumbered the boys onstage and she aimed to change it.
Cozzi had her motives. As a professional dancer who teaches at the Center for Ballroom and Dance in Deer Park and who has performed and choreographed shows throughout the Northwest suburbs, she wanted to expose boys to the medium early.
“These kids are all athletic; they play soccer and basketball and baseball,” Cozzi said. “But I wanted to introduce them to another side of life, with just as many benefits.
“It takes guts to put yourself out there,” she adds, “to conquer your fears and let others see a hidden talent.”
But the rewards are plenty, she adds. They start with ovations from their audience, but it goes deeper than that, Cozzi says.
“These boys are learning how to work as a team, count music, symmetry, object placement, awareness of their surroundings and working with props,” she says.
Not to mention, Cozzi adds, that they are breaking stereotypes and fighting the stigma that keeps boys from dancing, all while having fun.
Ralph Cook, principal at Poe School, agreed to the regular lunchtime rehearsals. Seeing the boys dance took him back to his own childhood, growing up the son of a dance teacher.
“It’s made me value the arts,” Cook said. “Any time you perform in front of an audience, it gives you self confidence and broadens your perspective.”
The boys rehearsed two-to-three times a week for nearly a month, giving up their lunch recess to do it. But none of them seemed to mind.
“It’s fun and it gave me a little confidence,” said fifth-grader C.J. Camporese of Arlington Heights, who also plays travel soccer.
Fifth-grader Trey Rosenberg of Arlington Heights said he was still working on getting his hand motions down. As one of the taller boys in the group, he plays soccer, basketball and baseball, but now he adds dancing to the list.
“My friends all think it’s cool,” he said.
His favorite part of the routine? Walking offstage doing the moonwalk, just the way Michael Jackson used to do.
“I hope they think it’s awesome,” Trey said.
Read more: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110201/news/702019882/#ixzz1Co1eV2Bn
