Paige Steward
Special to In Motion
“5, 6, 7, 8!” Walking into any given dance studio across the nation at any given time, and those numbers will be echoing of the walls.
For over a quarter century, dance has been an elective course in the fine arts department of high school curriculum, but for the past few years, due mainly to budget cuts, dance has taken a back seat to other programs such as science, technology, engineering and math.
According to the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, having dance in high school programs is important to maintain a healthy and less troublesome youth. Some people get into dance because they are just born with the talent. Some use it to escape from real-world problems that they may be too young to be having. Others use it to replace their negative vibes with healthy ones.
No matter what inspires the urge, everyone who dances has a common idea in mind — dancing is all about improvement.
“It’s important to have dance programs in high school because art is important to every aspect of life. Teenagers need the opportunity to express themselves and also to discover passions in life,” says Jeanna Reiter, a former Daytona State College dancer who now owns her own studio, Flagler School of Dance. “It’s a great way to make new friends and build confidence.”
When attending Daytona State, Reiter was a dance major and helped run the summer “intensives” or master classes, with Professor Kevin Veiga, who oversees DSC’s dance program. Reiter transferred to the Florida School of the Arts in Palatka after receiving her Associates Degree here.
According to the National Dance Organization, for most dancers, attending weekly, sometimes daily classes builds character and improves attention-span skills. Over 43 percent of dancers who start performing in high school usually come into the program untrained and unfocused at the beginning of the semester, but by the end of the year, they learn valuable life lessons. Some even lower the possibility of getting into trouble.
Although it is not required, training in a studio before entering high school is helpful in the long run.
Reiter notes, “Pursuing dance as early as possible helps to build a strong technical background, which is desired by performing arts programs in college. It also gives the dancer time to work on their artistry and become comfortable performing for an audience.”
There’s an old saying “There are dancers and there are people who dance.” Often, students who come into a high school dance class solely for the credit have the mindset that they can get recognition as a dancer without putting forth effort.
Janice Monsanto — who is not only the artistic director of the dance program at Flagler Palm Coast High School, but is also the chairperson for chapter 1021 of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts —has a passionate angle about the importance of dance in high school. She uses the high school football team as an example of dance being underrated. At Flagler High, as well as in the national football leagues, dance instructors are hired to improve the flexibility, alignment and balance of players.
“One would say that the head football coach has the toughest job and I agree. It’s probably not easy coaching 100 men in tights, teaching them how to catch and throw a ball, all while the players are in the spotlight for a college scholarship,” she says.
“Truth is, the dance teacher has the hardest job. She helps to train some of those very players before they hit the turf. Working each day to realign their legs and feet, soften the strain on their hyper-extended ligaments and lengthening those bulky muscles that quickly lose efficiency.”
Monsanto adds that the average public high school dance teacher starts their day early and ends it late at night.
“At 5 a.m. she’s up and ready to start her day with 30 minutes of yoga to maintain flexibility and sanity, from then on it’s all about staying healthy and hydrated to take on a day packed full of moving and preparing eager young dancers for their futures.”
Those with the intention of continuing on to have a dance career in college can look into Daytona State College. With dance major degrees, and an opportunity to audition to be in the company, DSC offers the full dance experience for someone looking to start on their associates or bachelor’s degree.
“Daytona State’s dance program has a tremendous reputation of training some of the most talented dancers, and their credentials are top notch,” Monsanto said while speaking of dancing at DSC. “I would highly recommend looking into the classes. The worst thing that could happen is you end up bettering yourself, so just go for it.”
Contacts:
-Janice Monsanto, FPCHS Artistic Director and NHSDA Chairperson (386) 569-8652
-Jeanna Reiter, Former Daytona State College Dancer, now Florida School of the Arts performer (386) 290-0266