MACON, Ga. — Kali Dance Studio has taught kids and adults throughout Central Georgia for 16 years. Now the students are preparing to hit the Grand Opera House.
"Dance means a lot to me. I feel like I found myself here. I gained a lot of my confidence and self-esteem here," says Nyla Palmer
Palmer says she started her journey with dance 10 years ago.
"I just used to walk around the house dancing all the time," says Palmer.
Palmer is now a student teacher at Kali Dance Studio in Macon, led by Terra Hitchcock. The studio is prepping over 80 dancers for their June dance recital based on a musical and movie about three girls following their dreams--"Dream Girls."
"As a child, that's what kids want to do. They have a dream as a child. They grow up, and that's what they want to do," says Terra Hitchcock.
"I still watch the movie now because it's so encouraging to see their story," says Palmer.
Terra says they've been prepping for about six months. That includes costumes.
"I'm probably ordering costumes for 90 to 100 kids. Making sure they're fitted, making sure they look good in the costumes," says Hitchcock.
You can't forget about the most crucial part of a dance recital: the dancing.
"You're going to see a lot of jazz, ballet, contemporary, modern. Everything is centered on dance. You'll hear all the tracks from the movie. You'll be singing along with the kids while they're dancing," says Hitchcock.
More than 80 dancers will execute over 20 dance numbers hitting the grand opera house stage in June. Even though Palmer has hit the big stage many times, she still feels those pre-show jitters.
"The nervousness gives me a little push on the stage to do my best," says Palmer.
The recital is Sunday, June 11th, at 3 p.m. A link to purchase tickets is here.