TURN It Up For Competitive Dance!

30 September 2021Maxine P, Alexandra ‘23

A cool breeze rushed through the open doors of the studio as the sounds of tap shoes echoed around the room. The five dancers followed behind instructor Ms Staples as they worked through the choreography. One of Brentwood’s first dance classes on a sport afternoon was underway.

This year, for the first time, Brentwood is giving students the opportunity to take dance as a sport. Our dance teacher, Ms Staples, said that she created this new program because she “wanted to give the students who wanted more dance or the other students who wanted to try it out for one term an opportunity to use this beautiful studio.”

Ms Staples has big plans for this year’s dance team. The sport dancers will work closely with those taking dance as an art to perform at Brentwood events in first term. In second term, there will be more chances to compete as Brentwood’s dancers will go out and perform in the community. Finally, in third term, they will participate in Concert for a Summer’s Eve and, of course, Evening of Dance.

Brentwood has a multitude of dancers with different backgrounds and expertise, but, under Ms Staples’ guidance, the program has come together in a way that allows every athlete to flourish. There are multiple classes for the different skill levels and every class learns many different kinds of dance such as jazz, tap, hip hop, and ballet. The dancers who are really motivated are given the opportunity to choreograph and perform a solo at one of Brentwood’s dance events.

Having dance as a sport this year has allowed Brentwood’s more experienced and enthusiastic dancers to fully commit to the program. Ella B, Hope ‘22, said that “Doing more dance right on campus” has been way more convenient and has allowed her to further explore her passion. Heather L, Mackenzie ‘23, says that dance is her “first love” and she is really excited to “dance every day and be on stage.” This is an exciting and monumental year for Brentwood’s dancers and we look forward to watching their performances!

Maxine P, Alexandra ‘23

Where Students Choose To Be