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The AHHS Dance Faculty is looking forward to another awesome year! Get acquainted with our incredible faculty - and let's get to dancing! Rachel Wade, Director, AHHS Dance Department and Repertory Company Dance History: Mrs. Wade has a B.F.A. in Modern Dance from Texas Christian University. She is working towards her M.A. in Dance Education from the University of Norther Colorado. Mrs. Wade has performed with Muscle Memory Dance Theater, Impulse Dance Project, Epiphany DanceArts, and Cholorock Dance Theater. She has Choreographed for AHHS Repertory Dance Company, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, Denton City Contemporary Ballet. Why Dance Education? Dancing is so much more than learning steps to music. Dance teaches students self - confidence, discipline, patience, and tenacity. That is why I love dance education - because of the opportunities it provides to teach students skills that go beyond the studio. What do you love about the AHHS Dance Program? I love that our students come from such diverse backgrounds. It is so neat to see so many young people from all walks of life come together to create such beautiful work together. What did you do this Summer? This summer I attended the University of Northern Colorado to finish my last semester of course work for my Masters in Dance Education. I also spent a lot of time preparing to be a Momma to our first baby who is due in August! What are you teaching at Heights this year? This Fall semester I am teaching levels 1,2, and 3 as well at Tap and Dance Production. Jackie Millan, Director, AHHS Dance Ensemble/Asst. Director AHHS Dance Department Dance History: I grew up dancing in Fort Worth. I graduated with a BA in Dance from Hunter College in NYC. I have taught in New York, New Jersey, and Texas. I have danced with MWest and Company, Bolly Dhamaal Dance, imPULSE Dance Project, Cholorock Dance Collective, and as an independent artist. I currently dance with Muscle Memory Dance Theatre. What do you love about the AHHS Dance Department? I love that I get to work with students that range from beginner to advanced. It is rare to find a concert dance program in a public school and I am so glad to be a part of this department. Our students are determined, smart, and willing to try anything we throw at them. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I love anything active or outside! I enjoy yoga, rock climbing, campfires, swimming, and patios. What are you most looking forward to this year at Heights? I am looking forward to starting our new freshman dance company, Heights Dance Ensemble! I am also looking forward to our new courses we will be offering this year! What courses are you teaching this year? I will be teaching Principles of Dance (ballet, modern, and jazz for levels 1-4), Beginner Tap, Dance Wellness, and Performance and Ensemble. Sarah - Grace Poitevent, Asst. Director AHHS Dance Department Dance History: Sarah-Grace Poitevent grew up in Fort Worth Texas and is an Arlington Heights Dance alum. She graduated in 2017 from The University of Texas at Austin with a BFA in Dance. While at UT she had the privilege of training with Charles Anderson, Natasha Davidson, Erica Gionfriddo, Alex Ketley and many more. During her time in Austin, she choreographed musicals at Saint Andrews School and did various senior solos. Sarah-Grace has performed in multiple dance styles including, ballet, modern, tap, jazz, musical theater, pointe, and hip hop. She has trained with the Radio City Rockettes and Joy Atkins Bollinger. After graduation, she moved back to Fort Worth and teaches at Monnig Middle School and Casa Manana. Sarah-Grace is thrilled to be joining the Arlington Heights dance faculty this year. Her passion for dance grew in the Heights dance studio and she can't wait to watch it happen for many students to come. Why Dance Education? I have chosen to be a dance educator to provide students with an outlet to express themselves. Dance allows students to connect all aspects of their lives and offers a space to explore new ideas and challenging topics. What do you love about the AHHS Dance Program? Having been a dancer in the Heights dance department, I know the teachers put their all into everyday with the students. They cultivate a positive and welcoming learning environment. The dance department gives you a family and support system you'll have in your life forever. What are you looking forward to most this year at Heights? I am looking forward to seeing students grow in and out of the dance studio. I am excited to see their hard work pay off each time they perform. What are you teaching this year? Intro to Dance, Level One, Performance, Performance and Ensemble. Reilly Faith, AHHS Dance Long - Term Sub  Dance History:
From ages 5 to 18 I was dedicated to my home studio of Stowe Dance Academy in Stowe, Vermont where I was blessed with a rich and diverse training in styles ranging from ballet and pointe, tap and jazz, to hip hop, contemporary, and musical theater. My favorites have always been jazz and musical theater, by far! During that time I was also fortunate enough to attend ABT and Joffrey summer intensives, participate regularly in competitions and conventions, and perform in local charity events and music festivals with my studio’s company “TRIP Dance Company.” I recently received my BFA in Modern Dance, from TCU’s School for Classical and Contemporary Dance. As a dance major in college, I got to immerse myself in both the theoretical and technical study of movement each day and had numerous performance opportunities each semester, for which I am so grateful. Why dance education? It is so easy for me to recognize the profound and fundamental ways in which dance has shaped me and the course of my life, that I can’t help but advocate the value of dance education for anyone who is willing to invest in it. Dance made me a more a careful thinker, a disciplined learner, an effective communicator, and a more sympathetic and thoughtful citizen - I believe all students should have the opportunity to develop their own character by the experience of dance class. What did you do this Summer? This summer I taught dance to students of all ages at Studio of MoveMINT and Frances Lea Dance Center. I also worked children’s summer camps at FUMC Fort Worth, and made trips to Vermont, Florida, and Washington DC with my friends and family! What courses are you teaching this year? This year I will be covering Mrs. Wade’s Tap, Production, 3rd Period Level 2, 4th Period modern and jazz, and Level 1 jazz classes while she is out!
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As mentioned in our previous post, attending a Summer Dance Intensive is a great way to propel your dance training to the next level. Summer dance study challenges students mentally and physically, while also exposing them to new instructors, peers, dance techniques, and cultures. Check out what five of our dancers have to say about their experiences below!  Chelsea Chandler Rising AHHS Dance Senior and Repertory Company Member Program Attended: Brenau University Summer Dance Intensive Why did you choose to attend this program? They offered a wide variety of different styles of dance we’d be practicing. Also, it was two weeks long which meant it offered more time to advance my technique. What have you learned about yourself as a dancer and as person during this program? I’ve found more confidence in myself when I dance. I feel that I’ve grown individually from what I used to think about myself and my dancing.  Jackson Rynd Rising AHHS Dance Senior and Repertory Company Member Program Attended: Margo Dean School of Ballet Summer Intensive Why do you feel continuing your dance education through the Summer is important? It’s always important as a dancer to stay moving and stretching because you’re not being the most beneficial to your future when you’re wasting the present. You loose flexibility and technique and when you’re not dancing, you’re not improving. What will you bring back to school to apply to your training that you learned this Summer? Keeping alignment at the bottom of my plies and maintaining it while coming up, lifting in my knees and thighs, using my head more, flowing through the steps and keeping it more fluid, and using my head to enhance my performance and really make my dancing a spectacle. Anna Scheffrahn Rising AHHS Dance Junior and Repertory Company Member Program Attended: Texas Ballet Theater Adult Summer Classes What have you learned about yourself as a person and as a dancer during this summer program? I believe that a main thing that I have learned about myself as a dancer is that I have definitely built up bad habits that seemed to help with certain things in the short term but now I want to achieve more and I can’t because I am trying to use the wrong muscles. As a person I think I have seen that I am definitely getting better at learning combinations better this is encouraging to me because that has been a struggle for me for a long time. I am also noticed how in the the hard work and athleticism of dance I forget to enjoy it. I love to dance but in the chaos and focus of it all I sometimes lose sight of that and I believe it has been good for me to re-ground myself in that as is I have looked forward to each class. Why do you feel continuing your dance education through the summer is important? Just like in school when everyone stops thinking about math and English and they come back in the fall and have to spend the first three months reviewing. In dance if you aren’t exercising the muscles or using your brain to learn combinations I think you lose ground that you have worked hard to build. Because of my hectic schedule I didn’t make it to a dance class for almost a month at the beginning of the summer and just in those 3 weeks I lost a ton of muscle and stamina that I am having to work to get back. Katherine Wagman Rising AHHS Dance Senior and Repertory Company Member Program Attended: Brenau Summer Dance Intensive What was the biggest challenge you faced at your summer program? The biggest challenge I faced at the intensive was keeping my energy and positivity levels up. It’s easy to get frustrated when you are tired, but it was important that I remember why it is worth it. What will you bring back to school to apply to your training that you learned this summer? I will be able to apply many new learning techniques, personal corrections, and a positive attitude for the upcoming year.  Abby Spencer AHHS Rising Senior and Repertory Company Member Program Attended: Brenau Summer Dance Intensive Why did you choose to attend this program? I chose this program because I knew I wanted to dance this summer, and I wanted to do many different styles of dance instead of just one. I received a scholarship to this intensive when I was in Wisconsin for Regional High School Dance Festival. After talking with John Streit, the Director, he told me that there was also a performance at the end of the 2 week intensive. This really excited me, and I knew Brenau was the intensive that would be most suitable for me. What have you learned about yourself as a person and as a dancer during this summer program? Throughout the 2 weeks, I learned that I am much stronger that I thought I was. Before attending Brenau, the thought of dancing for 8 hours a day, then going to rehearsals at night was insane to me. I did not think I was strong enough to do this. During the intensive when I actually had to commit to dancing over 8 hours a day showed me that I am a lot stronger than I give myself credit for. When I felt like my body couldn’t do any more that day, something made me keep going and I realized that I can always do more and work harder, even when I feel like my body can’t. We are so proud of all of our dancers and are thrilled to have students who continue to passionately pursue their training in the Summer! Thank you to the programs and dance educators who have poured into our dancers during this break, we are grateful for your time and talent!
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AuthorAHHS Faculty Archives
October 2019
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arlington heights high school4501 West Fwy
Fort Worth, TX 76107 |
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