Carrie Pin, director of The MacDonald-Pin Dancers (center), is pictured with some of her students. Clockwise from back row: Fiona Cooper, Carly Lindsay, Karena Landler, Tara Krishna, Kate Wagner, Allie Cauchon, Rico Froehlich, Sydney D’Orso and Madalyn Migliorino.
The rhythmic sounds of tap, graceful movement of ballet and lyrical and pulsing beat of jazz take center stage this weekend as The MacDonald-Pin Dancers presents its 40th Anniversary Recital.
Performances featuring dancers as young as three years old, through advanced students and adult dancers will be held at Ridgefield High School at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 1 and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 2.
“The dancers prepare all year for this performance and are looking forward to delighting this year’s audience,” said Carrie Pin, director of The MacDonald-Pin Dancers. “They devote their time throughout the school year to perfecting their technique and improving their performance skills and then apply what they learn to the specific choreography which will be performed at the show.”
The MacDonald-Pin Dancers offers a comprehensive school-year dance program and summer camps at the Ridgefield Recreation Center.
Following a professional dance career that included dancing in USO shows, half-time shows for the Washington Redskins football team and a position in the famous Rockette kickline as a member of the summer touring troupe, Joan MacDonald began teaching dance in her Ridgefield home in 1971.
Throughout the next decade she taught tap, ballet, and jazz after school to students in Ridgefield and the surrounding towns as a parks and recreation program.
Ms. MacDonald was joined by her daughter Carrie Pin as soon as she earned her bachelor of fine arts in dance education and together they expanded the studio to include classes for pre-schoolers and adults.
In the mid-90’s mother and daughter formed a new business partnership and a new name for the studio — The MacDonald-Pin Dancers. Ms. MacDonald retired in 1999 and Ms. Pin continues to fulfill her vision of a dance studio that offers a variety of dance disciplines for aspiring dancers young and old.
“We are proud to celebrate our 40th year of providing dance education,” said Ms. Pin. “I owe all of the joy I feel in working with dancers to my mother’s example of dedication, hard work and love for dance.”
‘We’re in the Money’ with the Middle School Tap Class will feature, back row, left to right, Julia Healy, Annie Helmes, Rico Froehlich, Fiona Cooper, Rosie Staudt; front row, left to right, Madalyn Migliorino, Tara Krishna and Allie Cauchon. —Carrie Pin photo
“For the Love of Dance” celebrates a variety of music and dance, featuring production numbers from our 40 year history such as “One,” “It Don’t Mean A Thing,” and “That’s Entertainment,” as well as new choreography to “King of New York (from the musical Newsies),” “Sweet Inspiration (an iconic Barbara Streisand hit)” and a Harry Potter inspired ballet.
Tickets for the 40th Anniversary Recital at $15 will be available at the door.
For more information, visit www.mpdancers.com.