About 50 Viewmont students took audiences on a lively journey through time this spring, thanks to a student-centered original musical production, “Dances through the Decades.”

Written and directed by the school’s Beverley Taylor Sorenson art teacher Bryn Swain, the music from 1950s through the 1990s was designed to be both enjoyable and educational for the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders.

“We’re doing dances through decades and they’re having fun,” Swain said while the show was still in rehearsal. “A lot of their families will be familiar with the music.”

The show was packed with familiar hits from Elvis tunes in the 1950s and Beach Boys’ favorites in the 1960s to more recent songs, including ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and NSYNC’s “Bye, Bye, Bye.” The finale brought everyone together with “Time After Time,” tying together the shows’ musical journey.

Much of the dancing is driven by the students.

“There has been a lot of student choreography,” she said. “Small groups of kids are coming up with the dancing routines and that’s been exciting this year.”

To guide them, Swain and her assistant directors, University of Utah theatre education students Avery Kirksey and Amelia Hunter, have provided reference videos and support as well as encouraged their creativity. Students worked collaboratively to build routines that reflected each decade’s style.

Rehearsals began in January, with many practices structured so each decade had its own dedicated day, allowing students to focus on specific scenes, songs and choreography before bringing the full show together.

Swain wrote the script quickly once she brainstormed the concept.

“It took hold in a couple days,” she said. “I like the flexibility of it because I’m able to adapt it to my students. Sometimes the kids will want to add a line and since I wrote it, we sure can.”

Beyond the music and dancing, students have learned creativity, collaboration and confidence as they help with many aspects of the show from choreography to visual design. Sixteen stage crew members helped make scenery, props and oversaw the staging. They also crafted cardboard props to represent each decade and came up with colorful costumes inspired by each era.

“They’re learning how do we put all our ideas together and make something cohesive,” Swain said. “They’re also learning about personal growth, like it’s OK to do scary things, that they’re not always 100% comfortable, but it’s still important to learn and try. It’s prepping them for the real world.”

For some, this is their first time on stage so they’re learning skills such as memorization, voice projection, stage presence and teamwork.

“It’s an introduction to performing in a low-pressure environment, one that is supported by their peers and our staff,” she said. “This will help them when there are hard things in life, they’ll know how to handle them. Our show is a celebration of students working and learning together, showing their creativity and their courage, and resulting in a fun, entertaining collaboration.”