The LASA dance team allows students to engage with the school community in different ways such as through performances, showcases, and attending competitions. In addition to giving students opportunities to perform, the dance team participates in community service projects that allow them to help staff and faculty in the school and raise awareness for issues they’re passionate about.
Paige Edwards, the JV and varsity dance coach, explained that her main role is to help the dance team practice their routines for various school events and competitions. According to Edwards, she takes pride in the dance team showing their engagement with the school community through dance.
“We go to most football games and they support the football players, they work with the band on dancing to the halftime music,” Edwards said. “So it’s a really big communal event at the football games. We also work with cheer from time to time and make sure to come to all the pep rallies.”
Edwards explained that in addition to performing, the dance team also helps out with volunteer work to help the students, school, and people outside the LASA community. She added that through volunteering the dance team can showcase their commitment to helping people outside the dance community.
“A lot of our dancers are very volunteer-focused and love to do things around the campus with the teachers and for the community,” Edwards said. “They helped teachers set up their classrooms at the start of the year, they went to the ‘MORE THAN PINK Walk’ together, we also advocated for Autism Acceptance this year called LuvMicheal (a non-profit organization to empower autistic teens).”
Freshman Madelyn Greenspahn, a member of the junior varsity dance team, emphasized that dance is one of the best extracurriculars LASA offers due to the flexible nature of the activity. According to Greenspahn, it’s relatively easy to manage with school, and even when the season picks up, the people and experiences that come along with dance make it worth the extra time.
“Dance can get time-consuming at times, but overall it doesn’t affect me academically that much,” Greenspahn said. “It can get a little hard to balance it when we have a busy week with competitions and practices and stuff like that but overall not that bad…The best part is probably all the people I’ve met this year through dance and the places I get to go with them. During the 2023-2024 season, we had multiple competitions and showcases which was exciting to be able to do with my friends.”
According to freshman Maureen Vo, a member of the varsity dance team, the excitement that comes with the opportunity to perform the dance routine with her teammates, outweighs the challenges such as keeping up with school. She emphasized that it’s worth it to manage her academic responsibilities along with dance because being involved in dance makes her feel fulfilled.
“I’ve never had too much of a problem balancing school and dance, sometimes it can get challenging, but it’s never to a point where I end up super behind,” Vo said. “My favorite part about dance is the events, especially pep rallies and football games. I really like performing at them and it gives me a sense of accomplishment… I think it’s just the whole process of preparing and getting ready for competitions and showcases that is really fun.”
Edwards mentioned that as well as being a great way to be involved in the school community, the dance team is a great place to hone a passion for dance even if you have no prior experience. Furthermore, Edwards also commented that being on the dance team is a great way to teach other dancers.
“Overall I’d say if you love to dance, and if you want to perform often and you want to be a part of a community, the dance teams are great,” Edwards said. “We also have a dance class for those that maybe don’t want to do all the bells and whistles but still want to be a part of a dance experience.”
