By Lorenzo Salinas

l.v.salinas@panews.com

 

The stage will be set for royalty, pomp and circumstance this weekend when hundreds of children gather underneath the bright lights to dance and perform as part of a local dance studio that has decades in the business.

Debbie’s Dance Etc. is hosting its annual student recital, “A Royal Affair,” Saturday and Sunday at the Nederland Performing Arts Center at 18^th Street and Spurlock Road. It is a production depicting the many different iterations of Disney princesses.

Founder and owner Debbie Broussard said it’s a wonderful piece that was actually done last year, though with some new tweaks this year like additional roles and different dance material.

“The reason we chose it last year was because we had a big group of graduating seniors who asked me years ago if we could do something like that,” Broussard said. “They wanted to be Disney princesses and I had decided to save that for them when they were older… They were a special group; so, I wanted to do something special for them.”

The dance studio originally intended to produce a different recital this year and let the Disney version remain singular, but Harvey-related issues prevented it from happening.

“This year we wanted to do something totally new because last year was something so special for them,” Broussard said of the graduating class. “But because of Harvey so many people were affected by it and it put us all behind schedule… So, we just had to repeat it and make it something new for the girls this year.”

Nevertheless, it was a production that had proven popular with the students.

“It’s something the girls would want to come up with,” Broussard said. “Some kind of Disney thing, that’s what they loved.”

The recital will feature 250 students, 100 of whom will perform in the opening number. It will also feature a Mother & Daughter Dance where 125 mothers will participate in a special routine with their daughters.

Students began practicing for the recital more than four months ago; mothers and daughters began rehearsing in April.

“A couple of months before May, they’re practicing six days a week — doing their regular classes and dedicating extra days and extra time toward it,” Broussard said. “They’re excited by it. They can’t wait.”

Broussard said that by the time dress rehearsals come around Friday and students put on their costumes for the first time, “that’s it.”

“They all turn into princesses and all that hard work, that stress… it’s all worth it,” Broussard said. “And the parents will say the same. They might get frustrated at times… but once they see their precious child on stage, that’s it.”

Broussard said that while the show’s baby ballerinas would most likely steal the show, there would still be plenty for audiences to see and enjoy.

“They could expect to see some amazing dancing. We have everything,” Broussard said. “We have ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, clogging, lyrical, the modern classes… We have just about everything.”

“A Royal Affair” starts at 6 p.m. Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets will be available at the door beginning one hour before it starts and doors will open 30 minutes prior to the show.

For more information, call the studio at 409-962-0446.