Ursuline Academy

The Lower School Dance Program (grades 4-6) occupies a quarter of the students’ physical education program during the school year, which translates into seven dance lessons per year. The students study folk dance, liturgical dance, and jazz. The 4th-grade students dance at an all-school liturgy in January on the Feast of St. Angela.

The Middle School Dance Curriculum is the most intensive exposure to the art of dance at Ursuline. These students study dance for a full semester which culminates in a performance. They must wear dance shoes, and they receive a letter grade at the end of the course. During the past school year, 7th graders opened the Ursuline Fashion Show at the Riverfront Arts Center. Before an audience of 800 people, 7th graders showed off their dance skills for Cirque de Soleil, which was the theme for the fashion show. The students researched Cirque de Soleil extensively and created their own movement, under teacher supervision, which exemplified their style and technique manifested in Cirque productions.

The students also created their own costumes in black and white only and developed individual made-up faces to go with their costumes. This was also graded as well as their movement. It was a terrific evening and a wonderful performance experience for the dance students, many of whom announced when it was over, “Is there somewhere else where we can go and do this again?!”

Eighth-grade students have acquired sufficient dance vocabulary (dance steps and movements) to choreograph their own pieces. Each class is divided (by the teacher) into groups of approximately four to five students each. The group writes a story, and then choreographs it to music chosen by the teacher. The language arts component (story) is graded by the teacher as well as the movement and performance. The final performances are videotaped by the teacher and critiqued by the students and the teacher as well. This experience not only promotes dance skills, it also provides a real bonding opportunity for 8th graders.

Ninth and 10th grades study dance for one quarter of their physical education program for the year. (Seven dance classes per year.) Students study swing dance, salsa, cha-cha, and jazz.