Skaneateles alums daughter to dance at Macy’s Day Parade
Madeline Winkler Raymond, a graduate of Skaneateles schools, now calls Moravia home, but in many ways she still considers Skaneateles home and likes to share important events with friends from back home when she can.
From the family home in Moravia, her daughter, Madalaina Raymond, attends the Armstrong School of Dance.
This school gathers students from Ithaca, Newfield, Lansing, Moravia, Spencer as well the Trumansburg area.
Recently the school announced 22 of its high school students, including Madalaina, will be part of the 93rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year.
Raymond said she is proud of her daughter and her fellow dancers.
Director Karen Armstrong Gorsky said dancers from her studio have been invited to perform with the Spirit of America Dance Stars, which are recruited from top dance schools throughout the U. S.
According to Raymond her daughter will join about 600 other dancers from across the country to be a part of this special event.
The Nov. 28 parade will be watched by more than 3.5 million people on the streets of Manhattan and more than 50 million people worldwide.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these students,” Gorsky said. “They will spend most of the week before Thanksgiving in Manhattan working with nationally known choreographers for 6 hours a day. On Thanksgiving, they will march the 2.6-mile parade route and perform at Herald Square in front of Macy’s.
“For us, this means moving from our small town stage in Ithaca to a very big stage almost overnight!” This is Armstrong School of Dance’s 5th time participating in the parade over the course of 12 years.
Gorsky said that the best time to see the dancers is likely to be between 11 a.m. and noon on Thanksgiving Day. The parade will be broadcast on NBC and via live streaming.
Submitted photo
Top Row: Jessandra Bender, Evelyn Kim, Elisabeth Lewis, Monica Willkens, Zoe Zavaski, Madeline Bennett, Isabella Steffie. Middlle Row: Tara Dikyikhangsar, Mary Cooper, Kassidy Payne, Ki Alve, Alina Fitzgerald, Jemma Andersen, Audrey Lauzun. Bottom Row: Badyn Milstein-Touesnard, Sabetha Hersini, Abby Wilder, Maggie Schnell, Sadie Arnold, Madalaina Raymond, Kylie Golden-Appleton, Liana Sicroff.
