Kids Have a Blast at the Magic Dancers Kingdom

So, you take the kids to Orlando, and, of course, you want them to have the time of their lives. You want to take them to a place that is shiny and spotless, with its own castle, with loads of food to satisfy every kid’s taste buds, with things to slide and spin on, where they can have their photos taken with their heroes, and, maybe if they are lucky, to even feel like a superstar themselves. Also, a place so big, you may need a pack animal and provisions to make it from one end to another.

Sounds like going to an Orlando Magic game, especially with the Magic Dancers around! It just seems like kids and the Magic Dancers go together. As Magic Dancers Director Jeanine Klem-Thomas says about selecting candidates for the squad, “A love for children is also a must since we take pride in our Junior Camp and Junior Dancer programs.” The bond between the Magic Dancers and kids was so evident from the time the gates opened until the last fan left on November 10^th, when the Magic hosted the Jazz in the Amway Center.

The gates opened and the Magic Dancers were ready to greet that night’s fans of all ages. And if you want to know how humongously largeriffic the new Amway Center really is, try to find all of the locations where the Magic Dancers are prior to game time! This is where a small equine helper loaded with supplies can come in handy.

Kids and the Magic Dancers are attracted like magnets. In the main entrance, one little, little boy was SO ready for the Magic game, like a fan beyond his years. His hair was blue and he already had a Magic Dancer photo card ready for the Dancers to sign. If I didn’t know better, I would wonder if he was an adult male who received the reverse Tom Hanks treatment in Big. Besides the little boys, there were even little girls dressed like cheerleaders for the game, which was just like seeing girls dressed like princesses at the Disney Parks. Parents snapped lots of photos of the kids with Magic Dancers before the game.

Krizia and Lyndsay greeted fans in one concourse location and kids visited them in droves. Lyndsay’s connection to kids is immediately apparent if you read her bio at the Magic web site. Lyndsay details her current occupation as, “I work with children with disabilities. I raise money and plan events for a school for children with motor disabilities.” Even back in high school, Lyndsay writes, “In high school I put together an event for children with disabilities called ‘Special Olympics High School Field Day.’  It was a day for high school ESE classes to experience the events in the Special Olympics.” If she wasn’t a dancer, Lyndsay says, “I’d go around to schools to set up inclusion programs for kids with disabilities and teach tolerance to school kids.”  Sounds like there would be no “Mean Girls” on Lyndsay’s watch!

Two of the Magic Dancers were up in Stuff’s Magic Castle, a play area in the Amway Center named for Magic mascot Stuff. There, Abby and Victoria were teaching some cheers to young fans, some with painted faces. Victoria went up to the castle’s upper level with some kids and emerged again after going down a slide. Abby went the same direction, but she slid down a twisty pole, and later helped little ones dunk by lifting them up to a lowered hoop.

But the fan who was the biggest young star that game was birthday girl Lana, the Junior Dancer of the night. Lana readied herself for her big night pre-game in the Magic Dancers’ locker room, and spent the entire game with them: on the sidelines, on the court, stretching and preparing for routines. Lana had so many big smiles all night, I bet her cheeks were tired the next day! Lana’s dad says that this was her third time as the Junior Dancer of the night, and that she loves doing it, so someday, she wants to be a Magic Dancer.

This night was just the tip of the iceberg of interactions that the Magic Dancers have with kids. Because, as Jeanine said, there are also junior dance camps and junior dance squads, plus all kinds of community service. For Jeanine, it is obvious the love of kids extends all the way home also. Jeanine beams when talking about her daughter, and when asked what her favorite things to do away from her work, she immediately mentions, “I have a beautiful three and a half year old daughter, and when I’m not working I just like spending time doing fun things with her, whether it’s going to a theme park or spending time with family!”

So during this season of the year, children make magical wishes. But during the games, before the games, with off the court camps and community service, and even when they go to their own homes, the Orlando Magic Dancers help make the wishes of kids come true throughout the year.  After all, based on her perpetual smiles, I think all Lana wants for Christmas is to be an Orlando Magic Dancer.