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Embodying birds, plants, water and light, students at the Clinton Christian School in Upper Marlboro practiced Feb. 26 as the school day wound down for their March original dance production, "CREATION," which depicts the seven days of God's creation of the world as described in the Bible.

"I dance like I am coming to life for the first time," said senior Demetrius Palmer of Clinton, who plays Adam, God's first human creation. The 18-year-old choreographed his main dance in three or four days with the help of Christine Byrams, the school's director of liturgical dance.

Palmer, who said he is both excited and nervous for the role, has never taken formal dance lessons and said he learned from watching his older sister dance.

Brittany Smith, 17, of Brandywine, who plays Eve in the production, said she has danced in other school productions but is most nervous about this role.

"You don't want to mess up, because you are playing Eve," Smith said.

The nearly 90 student participants have been practicing twice a week during the school's creativity period and have held three all-day Friday rehearsals and a few Saturday rehearsals since January.

At Clinton Christian School, students may take dance class, choir, band, violin lessons or a foreign language during a 90-minute creativity period Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Byrams said the students will have more all-day practices before performances at 7 p.m. March 26 and 27 at THEARC in Washington, D.C.

The production was the brainchild of Byrams, who had a vision for choreography depicting each of the seven days of creation. From there choir director Karla Scott composed the music for each scene and produced it in her home studio in less than a month, Scott said, adding that the underpinning of most songs is very "earthy" to help portray the first days of creation.

Byrams said that after taking students on a 2007 field trip to New York City to see the Broadway production of "The Lion King," she was inspired by the movements, costumes and feel of the musical.

Throughout "CREATION," Bible passages will be used to narrate each scene as fully costumed students depict each of God's creations, such as birds, sea creatures, trees and butterflies.

Clinton Christian students ages 4 to 18 at various skill levels are participating, Byrams said.

The entire cast will perform together in the last dance, said Scott, who watched the students practice the number for the first time Thursday.

"I love it. That's going to be really powerful," Scott said, wiping tears from her eyes.

If you go

For information or to purchase tickets for the Clinton Christian School original production "CREATION," call 301-599-9600.

E-mail Megan McKeever at mmckeever@gazette.net.