'Dance' is great appetizer for event

It was billed as an evening of International Dance, a free-will fundraiser for The Kootenai Valley Nutcracker coming to the Memorial Center on Dec. 2 and 3, and it turned out to be a delectable appetizer for what is yet to come — the main entre, The Nutcracker.

Certainly, this time of year there are a multitude of things to do on a Saturday night, but for the 50 or so who witnessed the 11 performances from dance ensembles Patio Andaluz, the Libby Ballet and the Albeni Falls Highland Dancers, this was a treat, a wonderful tease of what we can expect next month.

It is one thing to witness students of ballet who thrill with the promise of what can be, but Saturday’s performances offered a dazzling look at dancers ranging from adolescents to mature adults who glided across the Little Theatre stage every bit as well as their younger counterparts, thank you.

Dance enthusiasts were treated to a spectrum of feats ranging from Spanish to, Irish, to Scottish, to Latin and even a different look at a favorite interpretation of “Rodeo.”

Hats off to Victoria Lenihan, whose Manton solo was superb, Linda Bailey, Jennifer Corbin, Lori Stevens, Lisa Rios, Isabelle Martineau, Annie, Saryn and Christine Wilkinson, who accompanied on the violin, and to emcee Keith Meyers.

Magnifico!