Schools
Ridge High Dance Program Offers Dance Master Series
Registration for the Master Class program is still open.
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul," Martha Graham said, and Ridge High School is giving students the opportunity to dance more now than ever before. In the last two years, Ridge High has developed a dance program that includes curriculum classes, the Ridge Dance Team, the Ridge Dance Collective and a Master Class Program where students can take classes with guest instructors.
With the construction of the new Performing Arts Center (PAC) in 2008, Ridge High also added a state-of-the-art dance studio and hired Dance Department Director Rachel Falis. The Master Dance Program, one of Falis's intiatives, offers students the opportunity to take after school classes with dance instructors from the tri-state area with diverse backgrounds in different dance styles and experience on and off Broadway.
The current Spring Dance Master Class Program kicked off last week with a Hip Hop class led by Rob Rivera. Forty-five students from Ridge High and William Annin Middle School (7th graders were invited), assembled on the Ridge High stage to learn the Hip Hop dance number.
In all, three different instructors will teach two classes each in their designated specialty. Rivera's Hip Hop class concluded its second class on Feb. 16. Susanne Tranni-McClure will teach a Jazz/Modern workshop on consecutive Wednesdays, March 17 and March 24 and Michael McClure will offer dance classes featuring Bob Fosse's dance style (think Chorus Line) on April 21 and April 28. Registration is still open for the the March and April classes, and very affordable at $5 per class.
The large enrollment for these classes is testament to the students' keen interest in dance. "What we want to be doing," explained Falis, "is to not only reach the kids who have been dancing at local studios for years, but also introduce dance to others." The students who take the classes will perform these dance numbers at the upcoming Spring Dance Showcase 2010, scheduled for May 7 at the Ridge High PAC.
The Ridge High Dance Team and the Ridge High Dance Collective will also perform at the Spring Dance Showcase. Twenty students comprise the Dance Team. The focus is primarily Hip Hop and Jazz and they have starting competing in statewide events. They are hoping to perform at future basketball games and during the Bernards Township Charter Day activities.
The Ridge Dance Collective is open to William Annin Middle School students as well as Ridge students. These 18 dancers specialize in modern dance and actively/collectively participate in the choreography of the dance piece. "There is alot of interest from all the students in how to choreograph a dance piece," noted Falis.
After the Master Program is completed, the dancers will continue to rehearse their numbers weekly with Falis' support in preparation for the Spring Dance Showcase. Mark your calendars now, it should be a lively evening, and good for your soul.
