SEQUIM — In lieu of what was supposed to be the group’s holiday performance — one they still hope to perform, albeit a month late — dancers Logan Laxson and Mia Underwood briefly turned the Dungeness Railroad Bridge into a stage in mid-December.
Sequim Acrobatics team members had their sights set on spring and summer performances but, like dozens of other community groups, saw those plans delayed or outright cancelled by the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak.
The team looked to rehearse for and offer some form of a Christmas production this December, team member and coach Logan Laxson said, but COVID-19 derailed that as well.
A group of about 16 individuals generally puts in two, two-hour rehearsal sessions per week and, leading up to a performance like this, three two-and-a-half-hour sessions per week in the month leading up to the show — “not to mention all the choreography and all the behind the scenes goes into it,” he said.
“We were going to have it shot virtually so people could go on our website,” Laxson said.
Now, the Christmas performance will hopefully get completed in late January, possibly switching to a “winter” theme, he said.
“We’re definitely going to be set back, regardless. Hopefully that muscle memory (kicks in),” Laxson said.
A Sequim High senior, Laxson said he enjoys performances with Sequim Acrobatics because of how different and yet complementary it is with his athletic endeavors. Laxson has over the years compete in football, cross country, wrestling and several years in track and field.
“I like that (acrobatics) is not really competitive. In sports it’s, ‘compete, compete, compete.’ There’s still pressure behind it (in performing), but you can’t really lose. It’s a nice comfort zone.
“It also helps with all my other sports.”
On Dec. 19, Laxson and Underwood took to Sequim’s Railroad Bridge for a quick photo shoot to encourage other Sequim Acrobatics performers to stay in shape and keep practicing at home.
“It was really cold,” Laxson admitted.
For more information, see www.sequimacrobatics.com or find Sequim Acrobatics on Facebook.
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Michael Dashiell is the editor of the Sequim Gazette of the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which also is composed of other Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News and Forks Forum. Reach him at [email protected].
