SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Fairy Godmother was able to take a few days off thanks to select dancers from The Dance Lab bringing the magic to Walt Disney World.
It was the imagination of Mary Beth Besler, owner and artistic director of The Dance Lab that led to this uniquely enchanting opportunity. The dancers started learning a routine from Disney choreographers almost a year ago. An audition tape was submitted to Disney casting for review and adjudication, and according to Besler “we were told in May that our dancers exceeded standards and were approved to move forward.” After months of dedication to extra practices, the dancers and their families arrived in Disney at the end of June.
Another round of adjudication was required before the dancers could perform live, again The Dance Lab talent was undeniable. Performances began with a parade through Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom where The Dance Lab joined other dancers from around the world and were featured in front of Cinderella’s Castle and down Main Street. They next performed original work created and choreographed by Besler along with other teachers from The Dance Lab, Caitlin Goetz, Chris Benidt-Scherer, Lizzie Usack and Brittany Warfield. The dancers stood out amongst the crowd with their one-of-a-kind performance that featured five separate dances in a 16 minute time frame; complete with costume, shoe, and hair changes. The performance yielded a standing ovation from audience members and gave the dancers true professional experience. Performances wrapped up with another parade at Disney Springs.
Besler feels it was the dancers’ “strong background in various styles such as tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, acro, and musical theater that helped them learn and adapt to the various dance genres included in the choreography.”
“Dancing at Disney was a first for all of our dancers. It was an amazing experience where our students got a view into the professional dance industry, and after such an incredible success, it’s something The Dance Lab plans to continue in future years!”
The Dance Lab Disney Dancers: Joanna Besler, Havah Doyle, Ruth Doyle, Ellie Dunbar, Audrey Engel, Lillian Gitto, Julia Hall, Abby Karcher, Emma Karcher, Cara Kenna, Brooklyn Kuwitzky, Maisie Lewis, Phoebe Lewis, Ellen Mannarino, Peyton Marrone, Shae McKelvey, Hannah Moleski, Kendall Molik, Ophelia Newberry, Saoirse O’Sullivan, Hannah Perdziak, Paisley Post, Bryn Radigan, Maggie Rees, Rilynn Reeves, Kendall Revers, Emily Salway, Emily Sweeney, Maggie Sweeney, Molly Sweeney, Eliza Tazbir, Lucas Todtenhagen, Faith Waters, Kaitlyn Willard
