The Larimore Dance Club held their first dance showcase in front of family, friends and staff last semester in the Hazelwood Southeast Middle School gymnasium. A few days prior to the showcase, Larimore Dance Club instructor Allana Glass halted practice for the team and had them sit on the floor of the library, the site for that day’s rehearsal.
“When we left practice on Saturday, we were show ready,” Glass recalled. “What happened?”
Glass asked the girls, approximately 40 girls in grades 3 to 5, who sat, listening intently.
“A lot of people are looking forward to our show,” Glass continued. “Your parents have gotten up early and dropped you off for all of the rehearsals. You can’t let them down.”
The girls listened, and it showed once the music re-started and the dancers resumed rehearsal that afternoon.
Allana Glass is a 2009 graduate of Hazelwood Central High School who has returned to the District to teach dance at Larimore Elementary in the Hazelwood School District. Allana’s mother, Leslie Thompson, is the principal’s secretary at Larimore. Thompson thought a dance club would be good for the young ladies there. Thompson spoke to her daughter, who has danced since she was 5 years old, and Glass agreed and volunteered to teach the girls. Classes began earlier this year, and culminated with the showcase.
“My mom sent out the criteria to the students,” Glass said. “They had to have good grades and behavior, and have demonstrated good leadership qualities.”
In addition to the Larimore group, Glass is also the instructor for the elite team at the legendary Best Talent Center in St. Louis. She also works part-time in retail and is a student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
She plans to return to lead the dance club for the 2015-16 school year. Glass, now a mother of a 1 year old, says it feels good to give back.
“I see the girls and they run up to me and tell me they’ve been practicing,” she said. “I’m giving them an opportunity to dance, to learn and expose them to all kinds of dance styles. I can tell it’s sparked an interest in dance and that’s really good.”
