Ads by Google Ads by Google

Dancing Fingers 8th Annual Spring Concert to be held tonight

PETESA UTA — Twenty-six fine young pianists will perform for the Dancing Fingers 8th Annual Spring Concert tonight at the Calvary Temple AOG at Lepuapua (Leone).  Pastor David Willis of the Church of Christ will offer the invocation and the closing prayer.

The school’s honorary patron of arts, the Hon. Gov. Togiola and First Lady Mary Ann Tulafono are expected to attend as well as Lt. Gov. and Mrs. Faoa Aitofele Sunia.

Parents, families, and friends of the students will also attend to witness an evening of excellence in performance the school is known for in the community. The concert starts at 6:00 p.m. and this would be the school’s 15th public performance since 2004. The concert is free and the public is invited to attend.  

Among the twenty-six students are three of the school’s very own who had been trained at the prestigious San Francisco Conservatory of Music: Mika Aga who will perform “It’s All in the Game” by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett; Faleu Filemoni performing “Bella’s Lullaby” from the movie Twilight, and a riveting performance of a distinct American sound — ragtime — by Malaea Estherlene McFall of Joplin’s “The Entertainer.”

According to piano teacher Poe Mageo, this will be the first time the school will feature a major composition by Franz Schubert (1797-1828), an Austrian composer who died at the age of 31. Liana Gurr will perform Schubert’s “March Militaire” Op. 51, No. 1. 

Talented sensation Fred Mamea of Tafuna will perform Ellmenreich’s “The Spinning Song” as the opening performance.  Following the opening performance will be short pieces by first-year students: Annie Kim of Utulei, Georgina Alofa of Malaeimi, Angela Chen of Malaeimi, Kalista A’etonu-Koloi of Faleniu, Angelina Diaz of Leone, Olaivavega Tuaau of Happy Valley (Pago Pago), and Victor Chen of Malaeimi. 

Twenty-two year old Latisha Olo of Tafuna, who had signed up for adult classes and remediation in February will perform J.S. Bach’s “Prelude in C Major”, the only prelude featured in the program.

For the Baroque Era, Sonny Lam will perform “Musette in D Major” by J.S. Bach.  Arizona Sataua will perform Haydn’s “Minuet in G” while Jared Fruean performs Mozart’s “Rondo in F Major” for the Classical Period.

Late-intermediate early advance students Vera Wong-Mageo and Aitulagi Alofa will each perform a movement from Clementi’s “Sonatina” Op. 30 while Maria Toma performs Beethoven’s “Sonatina in F Major.”

For this particular concert, the school proudly features Hyun Duck Oh, an 8th grader from Manumalo Baptist School, as a guest artist.

According to Mageo, the school intends to feature young artists during their concerts and recitals as means of encouraging them to continue their musical talent. Oh will perform on a gayageum, a zither-like stringed instrument very common in Korean folk music. He will perform two pieces assisted by his teacher. The 13-year old had been playing the gayageum for two years. On the other hand, his sister, Ji Hyun Oh will perform Chopin’s “Nocturne in E flat Major” on the piano. 

Executing Czerny’s finger technique for the evening will be Chrysolite Maiava and Kristopher Lin. 

This year the contemporary genre will be represented by Anamnesis Muasau with Bastien’s “Song Without Words;” Amelia Samuelu with Offenbach’s “Barcarolle,” and of course “A Whole New World” from the 1992 Disney movie Aladdin performed by the ever-so-confident Mei-Ling Aga of Leone.

As per tradition, the First Lady Mary Ann will congratulate the performers by presenting them with a bouquet of flowers donated by Island Flowers by Liana. 

Source: Dancing Fingers media release