On Friday, January 10th, East-West celebrated the first year of its dance program with a big show featuring all 7 dance classes from grades 6 to 12!
For ACT I: The 6th grade lit up the stage with Asian Folk Dance inspired work, where students not only performed choreography, but choreographed parts of each dance themselves.
Middle School Class 604 Chinese Umbrella Dance
Middle School Class 602 Japanese Synchronized Marching - Chinese Line Dance
Middle School Class 603 - Japanese Synchronized Marching
Middle School Class 601 Japanese Synchronized Marching - Hip Hop
In ACT II: The High School students graced the stage with the elegance and poise of their ballroom dancing.
High School Period 4 Students performing the Rumba
High School Period 5 Students performing the Tango
High School Period 1 Students performing the Salsa
Thank you to the whole school community, from those who helped "behind the scenes," to everyone who came out to cheer.
Our 6th Grade students who organized their own fundraiser for the dance program.
Thank you to our PTA for selling refreshments and PIZZA!
Congratulations to all of East-West's dancers and looking forward to the next show!
-Ms. Brainsky
The Life of an East-West Dancer...
The dance program teaches students much more than just dance. It is a vehicle for celebrating community, and affecting social change through respectful body language, and honoring teamwork. Students build an awareness of their own bodies in space, and in relation to those around them. They develop control, focus, flexibility, and the ability to be still. Students are challenged to solve problems through movement, write, speak and ask questions about dance, and make cultural connections to the past and present through the study of dance.
When we stopped saying "right, left" aloud and just moved our bodies, it sounded like our feet started to say "right, left" for us."
-Darren Wen, 6th Grade