TGIF: Studio One dancers add band to recital

When the Studio One cloggers take the stage for their annual recital tonight, they will be sharing the spotlight for the first time in the studio’s 12-year history.
Rather than dancing to pre-recorded music, as is typical of most recitals, the Studio One dancers will be accompanied by a live band. Local act Kimberly Carter and Carryin’ On will be on stage for every song, fitting for a show called “Live!”
There will be two performances, tonight and Saturday at 7 each night.
“It’s definitely going to have a lot of the art of surprise,” Carter said. “There’s a lot that can happen.”
Studio One co-owner and choreographer Kelly Fithen admitted that dancing to live music presents a unique set of challenges. Dancers rely heavily on tempo and beats to take their cues, things that cannot be replicated exactly in live performances.
“It’s just totally different,” Fithen said. “We’re hoping everything goes OK.”
Carter said she and her fellow band members collaborated with Fithen and her sister, Studio One co-owner Regina Culton, to decide what songs to perform. The band learned a few new songs specifically for “Live!” and Carter said they plan to sing one original song.
“We think a lot of Kelly and Regina, and we’re excited,” Carter said.
In addition to her role as a performer, Carter is equally excited about being a dance parent. Her daughter, 5-year-old Sofie Blair, will perform in four routines during “Live!”
“She says, ‘I’m dancing to four songs, but my mommy sings them all,’” Carter joked.
Although Fithen and Culton knew Carter as a Studio One dance parent, the idea for the live performance came after the two watched Carryin’ On perform at the Clark County Jamboree.
“They were awesome,” Fithen said of the performance. “From there, we just started brainstorming ideas.”
Carter described Carryin’ On’s sound as “rock and blues-infused country,” and audiences can expect to hear a sampling of all those genres at “Live!” Selections include everything from Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” to Kenny Chesney’s “Big Star.”
Of the approximately 128 Studio One cloggers, 65 will participate in the recital. Instructors Keegan Crosby, Caitlyn Vincent and Alyson Vincent also will participate.
“I think it’s really going to show how good of dancers they are, and what kind of training they get from Kelly and Regina,” said Carryin’ On member Jeff Walson.
The show will be at George Rogers Clark High School and tickets are $12 at the door or $10 in advance.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the studio at 744-4044.

Contact Rachel Parsons at rparsons@winchestersun.com.