Fort Lee Kindergarteners Move on with Style and Rhythm

On Wednesday morning, parents and faculty gathered to watch the Kindergarteners of Fort Lee School No. 1 put on a performance that they wouldn’t soon forget.

All the preparation and hard work for the past two months surely showed as the kids took to the stage to put on their show called “Dancing with the Kindergarten Stars,” which was based on the hit TV show, “Dancing with the Stars.” Diane Henry, a teacher at the school, was a judge along with Superintendent Dr. Raymond Bandlow and Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Steven Engravalle. Everyone at the event was pleased at how it turned out.

“I think it went fabulous," said Carmela DeMaio, a kindergarten teacher who helped direct the performance along with Leslie Engleberg, Judy Gratale, Amy Mirkovic, and Stacie Zafiris. "I think the Dancing with the Stars from the reality show should actually come and check us out.”

The five kindergarten teachers came together in March and came up with the theme, then they each chose three songs and mixed all of the Kindergarteners so that they were not with the same children from their classrooms. The practice of the choreography then started followed by decisions on costumes and other props.

The students performed twelve dance routines to such songs as “Proud Mary,” “Funky Town,” “ Boogie Shoes,” “Vacation,” a remix of Ricky Martin’s “Livin La Vida Loca,” which was changed to “Livin La Vida Mickey,” and a tribute to the Veterans for Memorial Day by doing a dance routine to Katy Perry’s “Firework,” and more.

School No. 1 Principal Kristine Cecer was more than pleased with the performance.

“I thought the performance was absolutely terrific, absolutely wonderful," said Cecere. "It’s great when you have an opportunity to celebrate the children of the school and that’s exactly what happened.”

The costumes and dancing were impressive, to say the least. Some costumes included vacation gear, Mickey Mouse hats, sunglasses, and futuristic gear for a futuristic rendition of the song, “The Final Countdown.” The judges were so impressed that the contest ended in a 12 way tie with all teams receiving the top score of 10 for their performances. Judge Diane Henry enjoyed the event a great deal.

“It was phenomenal," said Henry. "Those kindergarten kids are just beyond exceptional and they took us to a new height. I loved every minute of it; it was so great to give them praise.”

The show ended with a slideshow played to Disney songs and other emotional songs that looked at the kindergarteners’ school year and its memories including a Thanksgiving feast, a visit from firefighters, and painting pumpkins with their buddies from the sixth grade.

The event took place in lieu of a graduation ceremony and it certainly worked. Stacie Zafiris, a kindergarten teacher thought it went great and appreciated the hard work of the kids and her staff and the parents who came to watch.

“They really took the time to learn their moves and everything and I think it all came together," said Zafiris. “I thought the parents' support was phenomenal this year. I don’t think there was a seat empty in the whole purpose room.”

The music was great, the performances were heartfelt and executed perfectly, and the reaction it all got was well deserved.