Medina dancers perform at Disney

Provided photos by Walt Disney Company – Students at the Dance Theater in Medina perform July 3 on the Waterside Stage in Downtown Disney in Orlando, Fla.

MEDINA – A group of 20 dancers from Dance Theater in Medina performed before several thousand people on July 3 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

The Medina dancers performed eight upbeat dance numbers including, “Singing in the Rain.” The group performed on a professional stage with professional sound and lighting.

“It was an amazing experience for the kids,” said Brandon Johnson who teaches the students with assistance from Amy Johnson. “It was very exciting and thrilling, not only for me but for my dancers.”

The Medina group spent July 3 in the Disney Performing Arts Program. The next day they watched the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom.

Johnson said Disney performing arts personnel praised the Medina dancers for their choreography, spacing and ability to keep the show moving.

Johnson has watched them do the routines hundreds of times. They were at their best in Florida.

“I’ve never seen them perform so well as they did at Disney,” Johnson said this afternoon. “It was a proud moment for me.”

The Medina dancers travelled about 1,200 miles for the half hour performance. They were able to put on their makeup in Disney’s dressing rooms and were treated like cast members, Johnson said.

Dance Theater has competed at national events at Atlantic City; Hershey, Pa; and Wildwood, NJ. They have brought home national titles through StarQuest and DanceXplosion. This was their first time at Disney.

They performed in three age levels: minis at 7 to 9 years old, juniors at 9 to 12, and seniors at 13 to 17.