East High School’s auditorium will host dance students from both East High School and Washington Middle School on Thursday, May 22, for a collaborative concert celebrating the schools’ dance programs.
The dance program was instituted several years ago at Washington Middle School and East High School to round out the schools’ arts programming.
“They started this curriculum program to increase the inclusivity of all the art forms,” said Dance Director Esrom Williams, Jr. “Dance was the last house they had to get or implement for it to be a full fine arts program — they had music, they had theater, they had visual arts. Dance was the last component and so they added that component and this is going to be our sixth year with Washington’s program and our fourth year with East’s program.”
At East, the dance program is a strand of the Fine Arts Institute.
“For the Fine Arts Institute specifically, students have to apply to be a dance strand student…” Williams said. “If they’re in the program, they can take dance all four years and they also get additional support class offerings. For example, if we bring in guest artists or have students who want to choreograph or do senior solos, they have those opportunities… At the end of their four years, they get a certificate and a cord for being a dance strand student. Like all of the other strands [ in the Fine Arts Institute] like music, visual arts and theater, students go through a course map that lines out their specific subject.”
With East’s program starting four years ago, this year marks the first year of graduating seniors who participated in the program throughout their whole high school careers.
“It feels surreal to see all those students come through the program,” Williams said. “Between us and Milwaukee, we’re the only program that is in a high school setting where students are able to take dance within our school curriculum. Seeing the inclusivity of that and knowing we are making strides and our students have the opportunity to engage at that level with a field and a subject that they enjoy being a part of… It just brings me joy to know that opportunity is there for our students.”
And more and more students are taking advantage of that opportunity each year.
“Seeing that growth and knowing there’s a place here for dance within our education system, I think it’s really important,” Williams said.
The concert serves as not only a way to showcase the talents of the dance students, but also to connect students at the middle and high school levels through their shared passion.
“This concert is a collaborative concert that bridges and brings Washington and East students together,” Williams said. “It’s not every day that we get both communities of students together in one space, so my idea was to help Washington students see what they will be getting into when they get to high school… It’s almost like having a mentorship where the high schoolers can come to Washington as well and help support Washington students.”
In getting ready for next week’s concert, Williams said he is most looking forward to the audience getting to see a glimpse of the passion his students hold for dance.
“I’m most proud of our students’ vulnerability, their courage and their passion,” Williams said. “With the state of education and the younger generation that we’re dealing with, we have to meet them where they’re at. As their education educator and their dance educator and knowing that the arts are at a very vulnerable place, seeing my kids still have the passion and the drive and the vulnerability to perform and express themselves… That’s what I’m proudest and most eager for the audience to see.”
More information about the dance program and the upcoming concert can be found at eastfinearts.com.
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