FORT PIERCE FOLKS
she says. “But I love it. I enjoy it too much to ever give it up.” The studio floor has a layer of bio-padding underneath to help
lessen the strain on dancers’ feet and joints.
42
THE NEXT GENERATION
Not every child who enrolls in an Irish dance class has what it
takes to become a world champion like Rondeau’s granddaughter,
Whitney Rondeau, who won the title in 2005 at age 20. “I can tell by
the second lesson if they’ve got what it takes,” Rondeau says. “I see
it right away, and I’m always right.”
Seven-year-old Gabrielle Richards of Fort Pierce is one she has
an eye on.
“She’s a sharp little girl,” Rondeau says. “She’s been dancing with
us for three years and she was just as sharp the first time she came.”
Gabby shies away from compliments, but points out that after a fall,
she got right up and kept dancing. “I didn’t stop,” she says proudly,
as she rubs her feet in a wet spot on the floor where water is spilled
— deliberately. The spot is visited throughout the class, particularly
by dancers who forgot their shoes. “Now I won’t slip again,” Gabby
says, confidently.
Self-confidence is one of the many benefits of being in a performing
dance class, says Gabby’s mother, Dr. Michele Richards. “I like it that
she’s with kids of all ages, all different body shapes and sizes,” Richards
says. “It’s not like ballet, where everyone is expected to be thin.”
Even students who never will excel as dancers benefit from the
class, Newman says, and the lessons learned influence other aspects
of their lives. “I’ve noticed that our kids tend to make better grades
than those who aren’t involved in some type of activity like this that
requires practice and organization,” she says. “And it’s not all about
winning. It’s about camaraderie and staying active and having fun.”
Many of the school’s students start lessons in kindergarten and keep
dancing until they go off to college, Rondeau says. “You know you’re
getting old when the kids you taught start bringing their kids for lessons,”
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