This year on May 14th, Lindenhurst’s dance ensemble will be displaying their many dances they have been working on throughout the year at their annual showing in the auditorium. These girls have been working on these dance pieces since September, and they have been crafting and practicing them since then.
Mrs. Lyons, their teacher, helps them create pieces and choreograph pieces for some of her classes. Some of these pieces are even choreographed by some of the students in the class! There are three levels of classes that are offered. There is Dance 1 which is for beginners, Dance 2 or Advanced Dance for more experienced and higher level dancers, and College Dance for advanced dancers in 11th or 12th grade looking for college credit.
In the Dance 1 class, most of the dances are choreographed by Mrs. Lyons. In the other 2 classes, she gives more opportunities for the students to express themselves and create their own dances. These dancers work very hard on perfecting these pieces before the showing. They practice them everyday in the classroom, and on the stage beforehand. This night can be very tiring for some of the dancers because they could be in up to 8 or 9 dances. Each dance can go from 3-6 minutes and it’s a workout the entire time. They get a 5-6 minute break in between dances to change and get water, then they get back on stage. This is why endurance is super important for them.
This night is very important to the seniors and their families because it’s the last high school dance concert they’ll be in. Some seniors were even given an opportunity to create a dance with just a few of them to showcase their talents. This is an amazing night filled with talent, strength, and emotions. It can be nerve-wracking for the girls to get up on the stage and perform in front of so many people, but they do it with pride.
I am in the dance program here, and have been since freshman year. It allows me to exercise during my school day and just take a break from my normal classes. I love it. I have really connected with Mrs. Lyons since she has seen me grow from a freshman to a senior. This program has really helped me; it gets my mind off things that are bothering me, and it makes me want to come to school. I don’t know what I would do without it.