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Preview by Joshua Maloni
If there's one studio that can turn a holiday show into an "Xtravaganza," it's Adell's School of Dance.
Owner/instructor Adell Hoover and her students present their annual "Christmas Xtravaganza" at 6 p.m. Saturday inside the Niagara Falls High School Performing Arts Center, 4455 Porter Road. The show will feature holiday-themed performances, a very special guest, and loads of good cheer for all in attendance.
"It has little kids all the way up to older kids. It's a very lighthearted show, as far as choreography goes," Hoover said. Her presentations are typically filled with intricate and innovative dance steps. But for her "Xtravaganza," "You throw all of that out. You find music that's just going to bring that holiday spirit out of people. Even for some of my advanced dancers, it's simple footwork. But they're having a blast."
"You watch that show, and there will be no way you'll walk out of that auditorium and not feel that holiday spirit coming," Hoover added. "It's really just entertaining."
It's also another opportunity for her dancers to perform.
"We didn't pick just the competitive kids; it's not just the older kids. I mean, I have 5-year-olds on stage, too," Hoover said. "Instead of just performing once, they have the opportunity to ... do two shows a year in front of an audience."
In addition to the dance numbers, Santa will make an appearance and pose for pictures with the dancers. Proceeds will benefit the studio's competitive team.
Hoover is dedicating this year's holiday showcase to her grandfather, Barney, who recently passed away.
"It'll be the first show in 28 years he's missed," said the 31-year-old Hoover of her "rock."
"His mission was to make sure that my dream came true," she explained. "Everything that he did and thought of - he was the one. My mom was working all the time to pay for dance and everything. So, he was the one who made sure I was attending the dance class, and fed.
"He was totally the one that inspired me to open. Totally the one that, if I had a vision, he'd be like, 'All right, let's do it this way.' He would sit and think about how something needed to be built. ... He supported me no matter what."
Tickets for Adell's School of Dance's "Christmas Xtravaganza" are $6 presale and $7 the day of the show. They are now available at the studio, 2420 Military Road. For more information, call 716-283-1078 or visit http://www.dancewithadell.com/.