by Jessica Tharaud
For the first time next year, students will have the opportunity to take a new dance class called the Art of Dance, which will take place twice a week for the full school year, worth 2.5 credits. The course, part of the Fine and Performing Arts Department, is open to all students and no dance experience is required.
By taking the Art of Dance, students will learn basic skills in ballet, modern dance, and choreography, while also being exposed to other dance styles, according to the NNHS Opportunity Book.
Fine and performing arts head Todd Young said that he hopes students who take the class “come out with a much greater appreciation” for dance, and added that there is a possibility for more dance classes to be added in the future if students show enough interest.
The Dance Club, formed this year, showed that there was enough student interest to propose the Art of Dance, according to Young.
According to the National Art Education Association’s website, fine arts includes “visual arts, dance, music, and theatre.” Before this class was added, dance was not a course offered at this school except for Dance in Action, a physical education course.
Young said that while the Art of Dance will include a “physical aspect,” it will be “less focused on aerobic fitness and more on the actual choreography.”
Students should take this class if they have an interest in dance and want to to take a break from “a packed day of sitting in desks and taking tests,” according to Young.
Sophomore Sarah Bickford, a member of this school’s Dance Club, said she feels excited to take the class next year and to “learn how to choreograph and explore improvisation.”