Stratford residents had "Fun in the Sun" in the Stratford School gymnasium Friday morning, with a packed house for the event.

It was the school's 85th annual Spring Festival and the audience was captivated by the variety of student performances that included everything from folklorico dance to a Maypole routine.

The folklorico dancers -- students from Stratford's afterschool Smart program -- twirled their long, colorful skirts to the lively Spanish lyrics as the queen, eighth-grader Monique Lopez, watched from her throne. Lopez was surrounded by her court of princesses that had been selected from each grade level.

All students and staff voted on the queen, a longstanding tradition for the festival. The selection of Lopez was kept a guarded secret until Friday morning, said school Principal Bill Bilbo.

Many of the school's preschool through eighth grade students danced. Between the winter and spring festivals, every student in the school performs, Bilbo said.

Deaf and hard of hearing students danced to "Hot, Hot, Hot," and later the first grade girls took center stage in passed down, pink and yellow outfits to shake their hips to "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." The first grade girls were then joined by their male classmates, who donned beach attire and carried surfboards for their summer inspired choreography.

"In school now we don't get so much of the arts and music and dance," Bilbo said. "But we're not going to let go of that part of the program."

Bilbo added that the teachers taught dances and parents volunteered to sew or alter costumes for the production that was largely put together in two weeks, after the completion of state standardized testing. It is such a valued tradition in the community that people often take time off from work to attend the Spring Festival, Bilbo said.

Melisa Morfin, 14, performed as part of the school's dance club, which is coached by Silvia Gonzalez. Morfin said the festival gives students a chance to express themselves through dance and "just have fun."

The festival finished with a Maypole dance performed by fifth, sixth and seventh grade students. They skipped around the pole, scattering confetti along the floor. Then, the students each took a ribbon end and wove in and out of each other, creating a rainbow basket weave tightly laced around the pole.

Finally, young escorts arrived and led each of the princesses and Queen Lopez around the Maypole and outside.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2424.

(May 25, 2008)