Dolores L. Nutt School of Dance 2016 Recital showcases talent

On May 7 at the Historic Rice Theatre in Crowley, the staff and students of Dolores L. Nutt School of Dance held their 2016 Recital, “Special Music, Special Dancers, Special Night.”
With an array of theatrical images in the background, the audience was entertained with music for tap, ballet, jazz and hip-hop.
Mistress of Ceremony Deborah Nutt Whiting introduced self-taught guitar player Ian Kratzer, who provided soft background music as Dolores L. Nutt, owner, director and choreographer, was introduced along with her class assistants, Robbie Simon and Taren Adams, and her class demonstrators, Alana Abshire and Caitlynn Falcon.
The awards ceremony began with Madisun Lacombe receiving the Program Award. Third-Year Silver Medals were presented to Russel Adams Jr., Blaire Gaspard, Leah Melancon, Julia Trahan and Sandra Trahan. Sixth-Year Gold Medals were presented to Alana Abshire, Diana Mouton, Tayler Prather and Madysen Simon.
Four students received the Eighth-Year Trophy: Kaytlin Keller, who was presented with a bouquet of flowers by her mother, Candace Lafleur; Madison Lejeune, who received flowers from her grandmothers, Delphine Lejeune and Deborah Olivier; Megan Pellissier, who received flowers from her mother, Emma LeJeune, and her younger brother, Timothy Wayne Lejeune Jr.; and Morgan Richard who was presented flowers by her mother, Emily Charpentier, and her aunt, Greta Ledoux.
A 16th-Year Plaque was presented to Robbie Simon.
After a short break, the students were ready and excited to show the audience their routines.
The first dance was a fast tap routine to “Greased Lightning” performed by Kaytlin Keller, Taren Adams, Madisun Lacombe, Caitlynn Facon, Erin Hetzler, Leah Melancon, Alana Abshire, Emma Broussard and Russell Adams Jr. Later they performed a very beautiful musical ballet to “You Raise Me Up.” For their jazzy hip-hop routine, they performed to “Shake it Up.” As an added touch, each of the students introduced a parent, including Russell Adams Sr., Candace Lafleur, Wanda Abshire, Brandi Melancon, Gina Falcon, Nancy Hetzler, Kathy Hawthorne, Natasha Broussard and Brenda Adams.
Performing to “Lonesome Butterfly,” were the tiny ballerina dancers, Faith Falcon and Briley B. Trahan. For their jazz routine, they performed to “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up.” Their precious smiles and expressions, along with their shiny costumes impressed the audience as they danced their tap routine to “Baby Face.”
“When You Wish Upon a Star” was a lovely ballet by Julia Trahan, Blaire Gaspard and Christopher Adams. With the girls as cheerleaders and Adams as a football player, the audience was entertained by a rousing tap routine to “Hey Mickey.” There were applause and cheers as the dancers did a jazz routine to “Jailhouse Rock.”
A very elegant Latin routine, to “Bailamos,” was performed by Katie Primeaux, Sandra Trahan and Robbie Simon. With a touch of the ’70s and costumes from that era, they performed a jazz routine to “Staying Alive.” As a tribute to the men and women in the United States military, their tap routine was performed to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”
A fast-stepping tap routine to “Step Up” was performed by Shailee Trahan, Madison Lejeune, Brooke Mullener, Morgan Richard, Kiersten Trahan, Madysen Simon, Chloe Guidry, Megan Pellissier, Tayler Prather and Ava Guidry. In beautiful knee length ballet costumes, they performed to “Music Box Dancers.” Of course, they couldn’t leave a texting song out, so they performed a jazzy hip-hop routine to “TTYLXOX” holding lime phones.
The musical evening ended with the entire staff, all the students and Nutt performing a jazz routine to “Let’s Get Loud.”
To close out the recital, everyone shouted, “Happy Mother’s Day!”