Planet Dance salutes pop icons at recital

The Planet Dance company held their annual Winter Recital Saturday night, bringing a bunch of pop icons to life through music and dance.

Dancers ages 4-18 dazzled the packed house at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center at Shafter High School. The title of the show was "Icons," with the dancers moving to the sounds of some of the most famous voices and performers in history, from Franki Valli to Janet Jackson.

The studio, operated and directed by the Hernandez family, put on an outstanding show, with several different styles of dance on display, from tap to hip-hop.

Jacob Hernandez, the show's director, presented students in a showcase that shows the level of talent that the studio enjoys, including several medalists from regional and national contests.

The show featured the Tap I class performing "Uptown Girl" by Franki Valle and the Four Seasons, with the dancers delighting the crowd with their moves.

The show also featured numbers performed by the ballet students, both novice and advanced, as well as hip hop, jazz and Polate. The advanced hip hop team performed "Only Girl," and the advanced ballet students performed a routine to "Hello."

The Jazz III concluded the class dances with Janet Jackson's number "Control" which brought the house down. It was executed with energy and sass, just like Jackson herself.

The dance studio is also a competitive studio that allows its students to participate in a number of conventions and competitions throughout the season, including a National Competition that features dancers from across the nation.

The studio had even had several dancers win trips to be a part of the National Showcase held in New York City, including current Planet Dance instructor Isabella Garcia..

The Hernandez family founded the studio in 2002.