As the holidays swing into full gear, three Webster Elementary School students are ringing in the holiday cheer through their love of dancing. Heather Fragen, Nikki Gelb and Ava Mosier are each talented dancers who bring an infectious blend of dedication and sheer joy to their art.
Fragen, 10, started dancing at the age of two. A member of the Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica, she recently performed in the ballet production of “The Nutcracker” at the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles. Fragen is practically a pro at this point, having taken part in “The Nutcracker” production for the past three years.
“‘The Nutcracker’ is amazing because you get to meet so many new people and you get to see so many different dances,” Fragen said. “It’s a big part of my life. I love it and I don’t want to stop.”
Fragen relishes ballet, which combines the grace and simplicity of dance with classical or contemporary music. She practiced four days a week in preparation for “The Nutcracker,” and in January she joins jazz dance.
“I love ballet so much. It’s really relaxing and fun,” Fragen said. “You have to have everything correct. Good posture and balance. It’s so beautiful.”
Fragen aspires to be a dancer, singer, actress or doctor when she grows up. She enjoys watching TV shows such as “Glee” and “So You Think You Can Dance” and has dreams of being on either show one day.
Her best friend, Nikki Gelb, first started dancing in a “mommy and me” ballet class. Gelb, 11, has been a member of the Retter’s Academy of Dance (R.A.D) in Agoura Hills for eight years. Her busy schedule includes seven classes each week, where she learns the different genres of dance such as ballet, company, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical and tap.
“I love dance, because after I take a class I feel like I could rule the world and it makes me feel really, really good,” said Gelb, who is in the fifth grade at Webster with Fragen. “Jazz is my favorite because it combines every kind of dance that I know.”
More than 300 dancers tried out at R.A.D for a host of different companies. After three years of trying out unsuccessfully, Gelb was one of 10 dancers chosen for the Mini Company dance team this past year. It took four years to make the team, but all the hard work paid off in the highlight of her young dancing career thus far.
“I was so excited to have made it,” Gelb said. “For 10 minutes all I could do was scream.”
Beginning in January, she will take part in monthly performances and competitions.
“Dancing means the world to me,” Gelb said. “Whenever I hear music on the radio, I can’t help but move in my seat.”
Mosier, nine, has also been dancing since the age of two. Practicing five days a week, she is the youngest person on her dance team, the Stellar Stars. Similar to Gelb, Mosier has learned the different types of dancing, such as ballet, contemporary and hip-hop.
A member of the Dance Star studio in Malibu, Mosier has been competing in jump and dance contests. She is the recipient of two dance awards and recently had a solo performance in a dance recital.
“Dance is great, because if I ever have a bad day I could go to dance and just have fun,” Mosier said. “I have a lot of good friends on the dance team and I like my teachers.”
She has been performing since the age of two-and-a-half, appearing in the Pepperdine Mini Waves, the Our Lady of Malibu Halloween carnival, the Malibu pie festival and various talent shows hosted by Dance Star. The fourth-grader from Webster wants to see more young girls take up dancing because of the joy it brings.
“It’s a fun way to express yourself. It’s inspiring,” Mosier said. “I’d rather dance than have play day every day. Dance, dance, dance. That’s what I love to do.”