The dance courses at AGHS are directed by Shelby Vidal-Solis. Her goal at AGHS is to provide a positive and fun environment where students can be themselves, whilst learning to move their bodies to rhythm.
“My class is a space for students to move their [bodies] and feel good,” Vidal-Solis said.
Her course is made up of three classes: Dance I, II, and III. Dance III is Dance Company and requires students to audition for the class.
Dance I is an entry-level class, requiring zero experience, and is a place where students learn to move with rhythm. They go through many styles of dance and are currently in the jazz unit; after spring break, the class will move to their last unit, which is hip hop. At the end of the year, students will put all of the skills they have learned together to create their own piece for their final.
Dance II is the progression to students creating and performing. Dance II is also in their jazz unit, working to create their own pieces that they will perform for the class.
Where Dance I is simply instructed to learn, Dance II is given a few weeks of instruction at the beginning of a unit and then works to create their individual pieces for the rest of the unit. After spring break, Dance II will also begin its hip hop unit.
At the end of the year, Dance II will make a guest appearance in The Dance Movement, the spring Dance Company show. The performance will be a part of the students’ final, allowing them to use the skills they have learned throughout the year.
Dance III/Dance Company Auditions for the Fall ‘26 school year were held on March 19.
Dance Company allows students to choreograph original pieces to either perform themselves or teach other students as a group dance. The class breaks up into groups and works in rotations. Some dances are solos, some are small groups, and some involve the whole class. The students are allowed to choose their style of dance and music, and select their group.
Dance Company is currently in the middle of a rotation, and the class is working towards cleaning-up pieces for The Dance Movement. The show will be towards the end of the semester and held in the Clark Center to showcase student pieces; exact dates to come.
