January 25, 2007

Dancing for the ‘Governator’

Almaden teen among performers for governor’s inaugural ball

By Laura Holford
Special to the Times

We’re standing side stage and my friend grumbles about her mom forcing her to do this gig. I hear another girl say something about wasting her last day of vacation. I stand there, not quite sure what to expect. When my teacher first suggested to our weekly Tuesday night Irish dance class in the city a couple weeks ago that we may be dancing at the Governor’s inaugural ball, I was intrigued, to say the least.

Laura Holford (in yellow) danced recently with the Harker Varsity Dance Troupe at the Governor’s inaugural ball.

On Jan. 5, 2007, after going through numerous security checkpoints, brushing shoulders with former governor Gray Davis, and dancing for the long line of people dressed in black suits waiting to enter the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, I find myself standing side stage about to dance for 3,000 politicians, donors, and movie stars. By now, I’m a bit more than intrigued.

Filled with uncontainable excitement would be a more apt description.

Our dance troupe was to serve as entertainment while the people waited for the governor to hobble in on crutches. I suppose it was a bit grander than that. Well, $1.2 million grander to be exact. The mariachi band finished their last song and the politicians finished their more than adequate schmoozing and finally began to find their seats. We were to dance in front of the stage, perhaps 4 feet away from the people sitting in the front row, because the stage was carpeted. Our music begins, still somewhat unfamiliar to me as I learned the routine that morning because I missed rehearsal the day before. Somehow I end up as the first one to dance out, and the girl behind me nudges me and I dance out to the middle of the floor. Our usual successful attempt to get the audience involved with our intricate upbeat rhythms fails on this unusual audience. However, I see a man with carefully disheveled hair and thick-rimmed glasses directly in front of me in the third row bopping up and down, clapping, and nudging the people next to him to check it out. Thank goodness for theater types. As it turns out the man is actor Tom Arnold of the old TV show, “Roseanne.”

We continue to do our eight-minute medley, reminiscent of the styles seen in Lord of the Dance, and Riverdance. I hop and leap and treble and kick, all the while getting a running commentary from the little girl in the front row. I don’t think she realizes I hear her as she squeaks and giggles as my legs swing probably a little nearer to her head than they should. I knew she would be terribly bored for the next two hours anyway, so it was the least I could do to excite her for a couple of minutes. We finish and bow and dance off as the audience claps politely and continues to anticipate the arrival of Arnold. We, however, burst into giggles as soon as we are in the hallway.

“I grazed his knee!!!” a girl squealed. “I could have whispered, ‘I love you’ when I bowed,” added another. These were the same two girls who grumbled before we went on stage. Apparently, three feet to my left in the front row was their heartthrob, Rob Lowe, of the T.V. show “West Wing.” We immediately find our seats and proceeded to watch the rest of the celebration. It must have been an interesting sight—14 girls decked out in huge curly wigs, in shiny-stiff costumes, huge tiaras, and covered in make-up among a sea of black suits. Important people got up to speak. Jose Feliciano sang the national anthem. Jennifer Holiday sang some songs too. It was a successful celebration.

Afterwards, Tom Arnold congratulated us and we all shrieked with excitement. Our parents have something to giggle about too. Apparently a really cute man from the New York Times interviewed them. Finally, we all went out for lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory and laughed at all the funny things that happened that morning and we all came to the conclusion that we would not be what we are without each other. If I were to go out there and dance by myself, it would be nothing; I would be nothing. I think that is why Harker is so special. We are a part of all the amazing things our classmates do and that is what makes us something.

Laura Holford, 16, who lives in Almaden Valley and attends Harker Upper School, performed recently at the inauguration with Harker’s varsity dance troupe. Holford has been dancing since she was 4 years old. Holford’s dance troupe has danced in the Almaden Art and Wine Festival for years and last summer they danced with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the Hollywood Bowl.