Lake Placid School of Dance summer intensive students prepare for their spring recital. Picture in the back row from left are Liesl Haney, Eloise Bubar, Aurora Brunner, Lexi Coffin and Emma VanWeelden. In the front row from left are Lena Haas, Taika Mzese, Amelia Chin and June Appleton. (Provided photo — Lake Placid Center for the Arts)

LAKE PLACID — As the year comes to a close, the Lake Placid Center for the Arts is celebrating its dance students. Each year, approximately 100 students ages 3 to 18 take part in the Lake Placid School of Dance programs, developing creative expression and confidence through ballet, modern and jazz classes.

Each spring, LPCA looks forward to celebrating the students’ hard work at the annual recital. In recent years, the dance school has seen an extraordinary success rate for students auditioning for prestigious programs across the country that provide immersive, advanced dance training.

This year, Lexi Coffin, Emma VanWeelden, Eloise Bubar, Aurora Brunner, Liesl Haney, Amelia Chin, Lena Haas, Taika Mzese and June Appleton have earned spots at top-tier intensives, including The Rock School for Dance, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater School, Orlando Ballet, Chautauqua Institution, Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet, Vermont Ballet Theater and School and more.

“Attending a summer program is a way for the LPSD students to explore the wider world of dance,” LPSD Director Alice Schonbek said.

The audition process is challenging, Schonbek said, not only because there are students from many different schools and backgrounds, but also because that process includes dancing in front of a panel of adjudicators, who are trying to assess whether a student will be a good fit for a particular program.

“I am proud that our students want to explore the world of dance outside of the Tri-Lakes area, and come back inspired and improved,” Schonbek said. “Meeting other dancers from all over the US and other parts of the world, and studying under new and different teachers can only result in enhancing their lives both in dance and in day to day life.”

LPCA has also recognized students who have chosen to pursue dance as a career following graduation. In the fall, graduating senior Lexi Coffin begins the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center Certificate Program and former School of Dance grad Alexys Vincent will attend University of North Carolina School of The Arts.

The LPSD Spring Recital is open to the public and will be held at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 31 at noon. Tickets are available at www.lakeplacidarts.org or by calling 518-523-2512.