Avenue A drill team takes lawn chairs on tour

Teens from Avenue A Teen Center in Antrim took to local parking lots to add their spin to military drills using lawn chairs Friday.

The drill team made stops at Pheasant Wood Center, RiverMead Health Center. Summerhill Assisted Living and Scott-Farrar in Peterborough, as well as James A. Tuttle Library in Antrim.

“It’s just a fun summer thing to do,” said Jacqueline Roland, director of teen programs for Avenue A, which is part of the The Grapevine Family & Community Resource Center in Antrim. “It’s such a hilarious and silly concept.”

Roland said the teens try to add story and dance into what usually is more formal. She said the program has been running for around six years, and teens from eighth to 12th grade participate. The group was recently named most humorous during the parade at Francestown’s Old Home Days.

Team members were Ronan Fortin, Gwen Mortiz, Ava Marony, Cadence Christian, Fiona McKinney, Lilly Clough, Mia Fallon. Logainne Mackensen and Tempest Suprenant.

Aria Frehner, coach and choreographer for the team, said the teens practiced the routine – set to a medley featuring British soul and music from the 1960s and 1970s – for about an hour-and-a-half once a week for six weeks. She added that some of the performers have no background in dance or lawn chair drilling.