It’s probably a bit too cold for these seven little swans to swim, but these dancers from Movements In Dance sure made a splash during a recent photo shoot at Palatine Park in Fairmont. The seven girls are members of the dance studio’s company and were part of a ballet production to the music of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake last season. They are Ann Marie Ramsey (front, from left), Emma Sine, Natalie Kerekes (back, from left), Kinsey Kraft, Porsche Fielder-Plyman, Addie Cunningham and Jayme Phillips.
Editor’s note: The Times West Virginian is illustrating the 12 Days of Christmas with local features each day leading to Dec. 25.
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave me seven swans a swimming.
The Times West Virginian’s beautiful swans are dancers from the Movements in Dance’s company, who were part of a competitive ballet production piece Swan School Graduation.
Swan School Graduation was a mash of two ballet pieces — Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Johann Straus II’s Graduation Ball.
Movements in Dance owner and choreographer Stephanie Lopez was faced with the challenge of choreographing a production piece that would mix 22 dancers ages 5 to 17. Inspired by Swan Lake, Lopez came up with the idea of different aged swans in school.
Lopez also wanted to showcase her daughter Sophie Silnicki in her last competition season.
“We decided that Swan Lake would be a great way to showcase Sophie’s talent and cast her as principal,” Lopez said. “The role of principal in the production is very difficult because, in the Black Swan variation, Sophie had to do 32 fouettes en pointe, which is very challenging and difficult…
