2004 Year in Review

LeAnn's Dance Connection's 1st Recital

Members of the Advanced Dance Class from LeAnn's Dance Connection show of their "attitude"
Photo by Bill Delp Photography

Seniors pose in their Pointe costumes -
Front L to R Ashley Willey, Megan Goodenough, Amy Drehmer
Back L to R Leslie Wilkens, Heidi Benson, and Britta Bartels

Six senior dancers took the stage Saturday to perform solos in their last dance recital. The largest class of soloist to graduate the local dance studio dazzled the audience with their years of experience.

Some of the girls started out with Anne Petersen at the young age of three, which makes this their fifteenth performance. Along with their senior solos Heidi Benson, Amy Drehmer, Britta Bartels, Ashley Willey, Megan Goodenough, and Leslie Wilkens also performed a special upbeat senior dance on Pointe in near perfect synchronization to Come Baby.

This was also a special night for LeAnn (Bonneur) Schaefer, an Anne’s Dance Studio graduate, because this was her first recital for the newly named LeAnn’s Dance Connection. Anne Petersen, the originator of dance in Morrison, owned the studio for over 25 years before selling to Julie Nardi. Nardi named the studio Get the Pointe. The 20-something Schaefer purchased the studio from Nardi last year and has shaken things up. The music was more modern and edgy with cutting edge choreography. From the beginning song “The Devil went down to Georgia”, performed by the intermediate class to the Advanced Jazz class conclusion with a futuristic performance to The Real Bass the sold-out audience was pleasantly entertained.

Laurel Landherr, another Anne Petersen graduate, has helped out this year with Pointe and choreography. Landherr and an expectant Schaefer performed an attitude-laden tap dance to Stomp – The Kitchen Song similar to the edgy and attitude Advanced Tap Class.

LeAnn’s Dance Connection includes dancers from preschoolers, age 3, to high school seniors. The recital was their main performance for the 2003-04 year. Schaefer’s studio is above Vern’s Home Furnishings.

by Barb Benson, theCity1.com
April 27, 2004