COUNTYWIDE : Students to Perform at EuroDisney
Eighteen Ventura County students are practicing their dance moves and rehearsing music in anticipation of performing at the grand opening of the EuroDisney amusement park near Paris later this month.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Lynne Johnson, 17, one of six Westlake High School Dancers who are participating. “They don’t open up a Disneyland every day.”
Students from Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Simi Valley and Ventura will also make the trip.
The students were chosen from high schools and colleges throughout the United States to join the 400-member All-American Marching Band, an 80-person dance team and a 43-member cheerleading team. The students completed applications and were accepted based on performance experience and winnings in previous local contests.
They will depart Tuesday and undergo a whirlwind schedule of rehearsals and sightseeing before performing at a dedication of the Disneyland Hotel and for a CBS television special on April 11. The next day, the students will perform at the grand opening ceremony and parade at EuroDisney, located 20 miles east of Paris.
The local dancers have been told that they will appear on opening day with the singing group The Temptations and the other Motown artists, perform a funky dance routine and march to the title song from the movie “Beauty and the Beast.” Although they don’t know their exact steps, dance team members say they aren’t worried.
Westlake adviser Cathy Hinson said the trip cost of $2,000 per student, paid by the individual performer.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
