Spiri ual | At Christian dance school,
music and message are one |
Steps
"We want to give children
the opportunity to make an
outward expression of the
internal love they have for
the Lord, as well as bless
other churches with their
dancing."
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Suzanne Cerniglia
Teacher, The King's Dancers |
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By KATHY RICKETTS
Gazzette Reporter
S | CHENECTADY - Wearing
leotards, tights and ballet slippers,
the children at The King's Dancers
watch intently as their teacher,
Suzanne Cerniglia, demonstrates a |
"plie" - a classic ballet movement in which
the knees bend and the legs turn out.
"Watch your feet," says Cerniglia, a lithe,
slender 21-year-old who began dance lessons
when she was 4 years old. "You don't want
your feet turned in. You want them turned
out."
With classical music playing in the
Backround and waist high bars along
Sapphire blue-and-white sponged walls, the
Studio sounds and looks like any other
Children's dance school - with one
Significant difference.
Performances are choreographed to
Christian music, with students wearing
Modest costumes. Brightly-colored flags and
Streamers are incorporated into dance
Routines and classes begin with prayer
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| PETER R. BARBER Gazzette Photographer |
Suzanne Cerniglia instructs Maria Augone, 8, of Schenectady at Christian School of Ballet in Schenectady.
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requests and praise reports about answered
prayers.
"The vision of The King's Dancers is to
minister out to the whole body of Christ,"
said Cerniglia, who opened in July and
already has about 85 students.
The second-floor studio at 1646 Foster | Ave., is above The Little Flock ChristianChurch and Fellowship, where Cerniglia's
Father, Daniel Donzelli, has served as pastor
For the past seven years.
Outward expression
"We want to give the children the opportunity
to make an outward expression of the
internal love they have for the Lord, as well
as bless other churches with their dancing,"
Cerniglia explained.
The studio is bright and inviting with
paintings of ballerinas and streamers on the
walls.
Sheer, floor-length, light blue curtains on the
windows, adorned with flower garlands
of pink roses and blue hydranges, give the
room a delicate look.
Parents can sit and observe from one
corner of the room.
Ballet/worship classes for ages 5 through
adult are held Mondays, Wednesdays and
Saturdays.
Hip-hop/praise dance classes for ages 9
through adults are held Tuesdays and
Wednesdays.
One adult ballet class is held on Saturday
mornings.
Classes are no larger than 10 students, and
each class begins with prayer/praise time.
During a recent Monday afternoon ballet
class, Cerniglia sat in a circle with four girls
aged 8 through 11.
"Do we have any prayer requests?" asked
Cerniglia.
"My mom just had an operation,"
answered 8-year-old Elena Costa, a third-
grader at St. Paul's School in Schenectady.
"I just found out I have diabetes," added
11-year-old Corrine Seay from Perth.
Several parents and grandparents of |
Students expressed appreciation for
Cerniglia and the new dance studio.
"We've been wanting something like this
for years," said Corrine Seays' mother, Laura
Staples of Perth. "Scripture is full of
passages that talk about 'to dance before the
Lord.'"
Eleanor Harkins of Rotterdam, Elena
Costas' grandmother, was a professional
dancer and ballet teacher in Scotia for 25
years before retiring in 1999.
"When it comes to dance, I'm particular,"
said Harkins. "Suzanne is very aware of
body placement. If your body isn't aligned
properly, it's difficult to balance and you can
hurt yourself. Suzanne offers the right
combination of good technique and good
values."
Spiritual Side
Harkins said she is appalled by the skimpy
Costumes and suggestive musical lyrics used
By some of today's commercial dance
Schools.
"I walked out of a recital my
grandchildren were in when they went to a
different studio," she said. "To me, dance is
body, mind, and spirit. Here, you get the
spirit end of it."
Kathleen Kiernan of Wynantskill said her
7-year-old-son, Daniel, enjoys music and
dance - particularly hip-hop - but she
didn't want to expose him to suggestive
lyrics of some popular hip-hop music.
"I want to get him involved in things that
he's interested in. So I was very thankful
when I heard about this," she said.
Students seemed to enjoy themselves as
well.
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