Malibu locals, family and friends gathered to watch “Miss Nikki White’s” dance/ballet students perform Sleeping Beauty on Saturday at Dance Star studio. Two groups combined for the performance, children ages 4-5 and those ages 6-7, showing their skills while having a great time. During these camps, White guides the dancers through ballet/movement classes that are centered on a classical ballet story. The children learn basic ballet vocabulary, etiquette and movements. They become familiar with the story by reading the book, learning about the music and memorizing choreography from the productions.
“The girls perform the piece that they have learned during the camp, which involves group choreography, individual solos and props,” White said. The children practice their patience as well as sitting up straight, while waiting for their group’s turn to perform. “These girls blew me away at this last performance. I asked so much of them and they certainly rose to the occasion. They memorized a ton of material, learned to take turns, pay attention, their posture was beautiful, and they accomplished all the movements with precision and grace,” White shared. “These ballets are magical and mean so much to me; it gives me immense joy to share this magic with all these young ballerinas.”
