Hangin’ out at the Hop

Deirdre Newman

As the Village People’s signature song “YMCA” blared from the

loudspeakers, Brandon Davila, 9, gyrated wildly to the music at the

front of the Kids Park Stage. The Hop-dance marathon had just begun

and Brandon wasn’t wasting any time.

Soon he was eclipsed by four teenage girls who managed to

energetically dance to the beat despite being loaded down by

backpacks. In perfect synchronicity, they lip-synched the lyrics

while making the hand signs made famous by the Indian, the Biker, the

Construction Worker, the Cop and the Cowboy.

“It’s our song,” exclaimed Brandi Banta, 12, one of the backpack

boogeyers, explaining that she and her friends were from the Hacienda

Heights YMCA.

While the Hop-dance marathon is only scheduled for an hour each

day, it usually lasts all day -- as long as there are kids eager to

dance, said Erin Koenig, the Kids Park Supervisor.

The marathon can best be described as organized chaos with

children of all ages doing whatever the music inspires them to do.

Some flail around wildly, some spin uncontrollably, some tap their

feet and some just stand there on stage taking in the scene around

them. Although the marathon is a high-energy endeavor, it is in the

shade under a canopy, providing a respite from the sun-soaked

fairgrounds.

And once the kids start dancing, it’s hard to stop them, as Edmond

Devore, director of the San Gabriel Valley YMCA’s child care site,

found out as he tried to corral 16 of his charges out of the dance

area and onward to the rest of the fair. The older kids followed his

lead, while the younger kids were still on stage trying to learn the

“YMCA” dance.

Even technical difficulties could not stop the enthusiasm of the

dancers. When the CD player stalled, they formed a train on stage and

continued to strut their stuff in silence.

Koenig said she would do whatever it takes to keep the dancing

going.

“I’ll sing if I have to,” Koenig said. “Then it turns into a

karaoke marathon.”

Luckily, for Koenig, technical assistance appeared on the scene

and the music returned.