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The Holiday Pageant at Island Academy School: 2011

Dec 15, 2011|Ambergris Caye

Last night, the children of The San Pedro Island Academy put on a Caribbean Pirate Christmas spectacular that would rival many off-Broadway shows I’ve seen. I kid you not. These kids were singing and acting their hearts out.(I’m going with all extra large pictures today not because my pics are so good – I had to take about 150 to get just these decents ones! – but to show you how cute this show really was).

I walked down a tiki torch lighted walkway to the seafront school not knowing what to expect. Probably a bunch of Christmas carols sung by nervous kids to a small group of swooning parents. Not so much…this show was professionally done! And the kids were having such a great time…. with so much heart that even the the Grinch would have loved it.

Look how fun! But that is the finale…let’s back up.

The crowds packed in to the HUGE tent.

Some came early to secure good seats towards the front.

DJ Mauricio and crew set up for a pretty challenging job. There were lots of songs and song changes in this show.

Kids burned off nervous energy before it all began.

The pageant started and the kids danced in to the Belizean CLASSIC Xmas song that I mentioned in a post a few days ago: Good Morning, Miss Lady. They then lined up in the bleachers and waited for their turns as the littlest started.

The youngest did the cutest and simplest songs…like Jingle Bells and they danced. (The little boy on the right was my favorite…so so cute. And I apologize if I use the word “cute” in this post over and over again…there is no good synonym!)

One of the older classes did “Away in the Manger”…sweet.

And then busted into “Grandma Got Run Over By a Raindeer”…the crowd was almost up dancing. These kids were into it.

The next part was the clincher. After the caroling, it turned into a full blown production. 30+ minutes with each and every child participating. They sang and danced group numbers, there were set and costume changes and these kids acted. Everyone had a line and most had many. The theme? Pirates vs. Elves Christmas. Giving vs. taking. Service vs. plunder. Finally, Santa (known to the pirates as “White Beard”) arrived and settled matters once and for all. Bad pirates, the holidays are all about giving to others!

This little girl had the best seat in the house…but had to lay back for a bit towards the end of the show.

Lady Dixie Bowen, the school founder and superintendent, and the teachers danced with the kids for the grand finale. I hear they had practiced for WEEKS and I am sure they are all going to enjoy their 2-3 week holiday break.

Kids ran inside to change out of their “performance vests” and everyone lined up for a giant pot luck dinner. What an incredible evening for the Island Academy and everyone who was there to watch the show. And there were LOTS of you.

I think that this is exactly what I needed to give me that holiday spirit

Good morning, Miss Lady, how are you this mawning? Come to lodge a complaint on this Merry Christmas mawning… (If you are not humming this song to yourself over the next few weeks, listen to it again. It is as catchy as they get).