In preparation for the spring Cappies musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie,” South County Secondary students have been taking two-hour classes every Friday with Suzie Celentano, the school’s choreographer. Sam Franklin, a regular at the tap classes, says that “the classes are very convenient because they are right after school and take place in South County’s auditorium.”
Since "Thoroughly Modern Millie” is a large dance musical focusing largely on tap, students leaped at the opportunity to start preparing early for auditions. Celentano splits her class into two sections — the first hour focusing on ballet and modern and the second hour for tap. Colleen Ireland, who is a newcomer at tapping said, “I like dance class because it gives me a chance to have fun and learn a new skill at the same time.” As the year progresses, Celentano plans to get more and more advanced in tapping so that by the time rehearsals start for the show, students will already possess the skills needed to perform large dance numbers.
Celentano is provided through The Lorton Arts Foundation and choreographed South County’s last musical, “Oliver!” The foundation has developed a partnership with South County Secondary School and provides the theatre students with technical experts in various theatre areas. In addition to Celentano, The Lorton Arts Foundation also has funded the assistance of Linda Evans, who assists the students with technical aspects of their shows. She has often been on hand to help students with everything from lighting plots to constructing props. Both experts have really helped every member of the department to gain a better understanding of their craft.