Archive: Around Town

Top Row: Jessandra Bender, Evelyn Kim, Elisabeth Lewis, Monica Willkens, Zoe Zavaski, Madeline Bennett, Isabella Steffie. Middlle Row: Tara Dikyikhangsar, Mary Cooper, Kassidy Payne, Ki Alve, Alina Fitzgerald, Jemma Andersen, Audrey Lauzun. Bottom Row: Badyn Milstein-Touesnard, Sabetha Hersini, Abby Wilder, Maggie Schnell, Sadie Arnold, Madalaina Raymond, Kylie Golden-Appleton, Liana SicroffThe 93rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will feature some familiar local faces – 22 high school dance students from the Armstrong School of Dance. The Armstrong dancers are from Ithaca, Newfield, Lansing, Moravia, Spencer, and Trumansburg Central schools.

Director Karen Armstrong Gorsky said that dancers from her studio have been invited to perform with the Spirit of America Dance Stars, which are recruited from top dance schools throughout the U. S. The November 28 parade will be watched by more than 3.5 million people on the streets of Manhattan and more than 50 million people worldwide.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these students," Gorsky said. "They will spend most of the week before Thanksgiving in Manhattan working with nationally known choreographers for 6 hours a day. On Thanksgiving, they will march the 2.6-mile parade route and perform at Herald Square in front of Macy's. 
"For us, this means moving from our small town stage in Ithaca to a very big stage almost overnight!" This is Armstrong School of Dance's 5th time participating in the parade over the course of 12 years.

Lansing High School dancers (left to right) Audrey Lauzun, Monica Willkens, Abby Wilder, Isabella Steffie

Gorsky said that the best time to see the dancers is likely to be between 11:00am and noon on Thanksgiving Day. The parade will be broadcast on NBC and via live streaming.

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