Chris Rossi/The Gazette
Bonnie Slawson leads the dancers Motion Dance Center in rehearsal for the halftime show at the Orange Bowl.
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Young dancers stepped, spun and shimmied their way through the dance they will perform with 200 others at halftime of the 75th annual FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 1.
The 17 dancers, ages 11-18, from Motion Mania Dance Center in Gaithersburg started learning the 5-minute number last week.
About 200 youth dancers clad in metallic silver costumes and jazz sneakers from all over the country will perform in the show, which will be headlined by the Doobie Brothers. The jazz routine was choreographed by Mandy Moore, a judge on FOX Broadcasting Company's "So You Think You Can Dance."
"I'm super excited — I love performing," said Jewel Grisham, 14, of Washington Grove, who has been dancing for about three years.
"And it's an amazing opportunity," added Annie Ruhl, 17, of Burtonsville.
The dancers will leave for Miami on Monday, but there won't be much time for leisure. They will have a full day of rehearsal plus new choreography to learn.
"They're picking it up fast," Slawson said. "You're always worried about the little ones, but they picked it up the second time."
It has been a hectic few weeks at Motion Mania, which is moving and will reopen as Motion Mania at ACT TWO Performing Arts in Rockville on Jan. 5. Some of the company's former youth dancers have been helping out at rehearsals. Many of the center's graduates have gone on to dance in college, including several at Virginia Tech, which will be playing against the Cincinnati Bearcats at the game.
"Looking at it, this is no different than what they're used to," Jan Fine, vice president of Motion Mania Dance Theater's board, said as the dancers stepped, shook and shimmied in the center's studio. "I think they're going to do great."
The trip will help the dancers with more than their technique, Slawson said.
"It's a good team-building moment for them," she said. "It's not competitive — it's just for them."
