People all over the country will be glued to their TV sets tonight, evaluating the performers on Fox’s breakout hit “So You Think You Can Dance” and calling in to vote for their personal favorites. Here in Lake Highlands the stakes are especially high. Contestant Chris Koehl is one of our own.
Though he grew up in Garland, his parents enrolled him in class at Dallas Ballet Company with other home-schooled kids when he was about ten. “He had an amazing talent and was eager to learn,” said Judy Klopfenstein of her young student. “He taught himself hip hop and had great natural ability, but ballet technique is the foundation of all dance.”
While at DBC, Chris danced many roles in many productions, including the Nutcracker and La Fille Mal Gardee (The Wayward Daughter.)
“He danced a character role as Alain in La Fille where his personality really came out,” remembered Brent, who owns and runs DBC with his wife, Judy. “He learned to do a somersault off the wall for the musical number ‘Make ‘Em Laugh’ from Singing in the Rain. He’s a smart dancer with a love of movement.”
“Chris is a sparkplug of energy,” agreed Judy, “and he’s fearless to try anything new. He’s good at learning, at copying others. It’s neat to see the way he has matured as a dancer.”
As impressive as Chris’ dancing, say the Klopfensteins, is the way he handles himself outside the studio.
“Chris is one of 7 children from a conservative family,” Brent told me. Added Judy, “He has good Christian core family values.”
All the DBC alums who’ve danced with Chris over the years will be watching every move and voting as often as possible, and the Klopfensteins are beaming with pride at their role in Chris’ success.
“It’s nice to think you’ve influenced a young man like Chris,” Judy told me from her studio, as fresh-faced ballerinas twirled near the mirrored wall.
“Chris has really matured as a dancer,” said Brent. “Now he encompasses everything he has learned, much like a singer who crosses over into other genres, and he does that quite well. Chris will be successful at whatever he does, he’s just that type of guy.”
You can watch all the dancers tonight on Fox at 7 pm, then the results show will air tomorrow night (Thursday), also at 7. Go Chris!
