Page 9 - Reedley Exponent 8-2-18 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent BPanorama
'Pirate Days' gives Reedley High School freshmen a jump start See B5
Section | Thursday, August 2, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com
Dancing in New York
Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654
Reedley friends invited to take dance classes from The Rockettes
Photo Contributed
Christopher Lopez, member of Reed- ley Boy Scout Troop 282, was named an Eagle Scout after putting in 200 hours of community service and earn- ing 36 badges.
Lopez named Eagle Scout
Staff Report
After years of hard work, Christopher Lopez has been named an Eagle Scout.
He received the honor at a court of honor ceremony on July 14 at the First United Methodist Church of Reedley. Lopez, a Reed- ley High School senior, has been a member of Boy Scout Troop 282 in Reedley for 12 years.
“It was a dream come true,” said Lopez.
Only 5 percent of Boy Scouts become an Eagle Scout, one of the highest honors in Boy Scouts. Since first grade, Lopez has per- formed 200 hours of community service and earn 36 badges.
Lopez has worked on becoming an Eagle Scout for the past three years. For his Eagle Scout project, Lopez assembled a team of 60 vol- unteers to help him replace about 700 donor nameplates on the backs of chairs at the Performing Arts Theatre at Reedley High School.
“People who know me know how much adversity I faced, and the time and effort I put in, but it was so worth it,” Lopez said.
Lopez’s mother, Angela Avalos, is also the Scoutmaster for Troop 282.
“I am very proud,” she said.
At the court of honor ceremo- ny, Lopez gave special pins to those who mentored him and helped him become an Eagle Scout. They in- cluded RHS teacher Alexander
See EAGLE page B10
Exercise class tailored to senior citizens
By Jodie Reyna
Mid Valley Publishing
Ellen Yamada, 84, has been tak- ing exercise classes for 16 years.
“If I don’t exercise, I can’t get anything else done during the day,” she said.
Yamada joins a group of se- nior citizens at the Reedley Senior Center for an exercise class taught three times a week by retired Reedley College fitness instructor, Shirley Festejo. The class is held at the senior center from 10 to 11 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. A video class is offered between 10 and 11 a.m. on Fridays.
“The people here are more like friends than students,” Fes- tejo said.
Festejo has been teaching ex- ercise classes for senior citizens since 1985 when it was a college course offered at Reedley College. She taught at Reedley College for 41 years.
When Festejo retired three years ago, she wanted to continue offering exercise options for se- niors. So,shebeganvolunteering as an exercise instructor at the
See EXERCISE page B10
By Jodie Reyna
Mid Valley Publishing
Three dancers from On Pointe Dance Company in Reedley were re- cently invited to New York City, NY to experience life in the Big Apple and improve their dance skills.
While there, they had the oppor- tunity to take dance classes from the legendary Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.
Julianna McCahill, 14, and twin sisters Hannah and Jadyn Robles, 14, took the five-day trip to New York inJuly. Theywereaccompaniedby Julianna’s mother, Jessica McCahill, owner of On Pointe Dance Company. The Robles’ mother, Eavie Robles, also attended.
The three Reedley dancers had the opportunity to participate in a mock audition at Radio City Music Hall and were graded by profession- aldancers. Theyalsotookdanceles- sons at the Broadway Dance Center from an instructor who was featured on the FOX television show, “So You Think You Can Dance.”
“It was an unforgettable experi- ence,” Julianna said of the New York trip.
Jadyn and Hannah are lifelong friends of Julianna and have danced together for as long as they can re- member. Julianna is a freshman at Immanuel High School and sisters Hannah and Jadyn are freshmen at Reedley High School.
The three dancers were invited to New York after doing well at a recent dance competition in Fresno. They joined about 40 other young dancers from around the United States.
McCahill opened On Pointe Dance Company in downtown Reed- ley in August 2017. She was excited about the first-time trip and hopes it will be an ongoing tradition.
“The girls were able to see New York City. It’s a different way of life,” McCahill said. “They were able to learn what it takes to pursue a dance career.”
The Reedley group also took a tour of New York City, which includ- ed watching some Broadway shows and taking a dinner cruise where they saw the Statue of Liberty.
Jadyn said traveling to New York
City was “unreal.”
“Being there in person was a
whole different experience,” she said. “It was incredible.”
Jadyn especially enjoyed going backstage after the Broadway shows and listening to the actors and ac- tresses talk about their experiences in musical theater.
Hannah said it was inspiring to hear how the Rockettes became suc- cessful.
Jordan Langley is the dance in- structor at On Pointe Dance Compa- ny. Over the past year, Langley said she has seen tremendous growth in the girls’ dance abilities.
“They have really opened up and become beautiful dancers,” she said. “They have worked hard this year and it shows.”
On Pointe Dance Company is now excepting enrollment for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 20.
Three dancers from On Pointe Dance Com- pany in Reedley were invited to New York in July after performing well at a dance compe- tition in Fresno.
ABOVE: Picturedhere in New York City, New York (from left) are Jadyn Robles, Julianna McCahill, and Hannah Robles.
RIGHT: While in New York, the three danc- ers went on a dinner cruise and saw the Statue of Liberty. Pictured here (from left) are Jadyn Robles, Hannah Robles, and Julianna McCahill.
Photos Contributed
KC Showcase prepares to ring in the new school year
By Jodie Reyna
Mid Valley Publishing
Sarah Wiebe, theater arts coor- dinator for Reedley High School, is teaching dance moves to the biggest group of KC Showcase students ever.
There are 75 energetic and tal- ented students participating in the program this summer, and more students on a waiting list.
KC Showcase is an intensive
three-week performing arts work- shop for students in grades 3 through 12. It’s a tradition that was started decades ago by Mark Norwood, for- mer theater arts director for Kings Canyon Unified School District. This is Wiebe’s first summer directing KC Showcase since Norwood resigned last August.
“The students do a lot and ac- complish a lot, but they have a good time,” Wiebe said.
The workshop is held at Reedley High School’s Performing Arts The- atre. It concludes on Friday, Aug. 10 with a performance for Kings Can- yon Unified School District’s annual all-staff meeting, which kicks off the new school year for teachers, staff and administrators.
KC Showcase began July 23 and is in full swing as students are learning the fundamentals of sing- ing, dancing and theater etiquette. Every school site in the district is represented.
Allison Stevens, a junior at Reed- ley High, said KC Showcase is what sparked her interest in theater arts. She joined KC Showcase eight years ago as a shy fourth-grader. After just three weeks, Stevens said she gained confidence and overcame her stage fright.
LEFT: KCShowcase students practice songs that they will perform at the all-staff meeting on Friday, Aug. 10 for Kings Canyon Unified School District employees to kick off the new school year. Practicetakes place at the Perform- ing Arts Theatre at Reedley High School for three weeks and includes students in grade 3-12 from every school site in KCUSD.
RIGHT: RadGutierrez (left) and Melanie Alcantar practice some new dance steps taught by KC Show- case coordinator and choreographer Sarah Wiebe.
Jodie Reyna/ The Exponent
“It brought me out of my shell,” she said.
Since then, Stevens has devel- oped a love for theater and has participated in numerous plays for Reedley High and River City The- atre Company. For those who aren’t good at acting, singing, or dancing, Stevens said KC Showcase teaches valuable leadership and communica- tion skills.
Denise Cabrera, a third-grad- er from Washington Elementary School, joined KC Showcase for the first time this year.
“It’s very enjoyable,” she said. “It inspires you to do new stuff. I like the dance moves. There’s cool, new dance moves that I haven’t
See SHOWCASE page B2