A total of 14 dance students from Skyline High School, along with dancers from other schools in Mesa and Gilbert, had the experience of a lifetime visiting New York City and participating in master dance classes with stars from the Broadway shows, Fosse, Matilda, and Newsies.
Kaitlyn, who has been dancing for 13 years, loved the trip. “Doing dance here gets us out of our comfort zone with dancing,” she said. In addition, the students attended hip-hop, modern and lyrical dance workshops at Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater.
“Broadway is the dance center for the new stuff in hip-hop, jazz and funk,” said Evelyn, a junior who has been dancing for six years. “It was great to talk to the dancers, and hear about how they made it.”
Shantelle Peterson is the dance teacher who made all this happen by organizing this educational performance tour through Big Tours. “The wonderful thing about trips like this is that the students get to experience dance from all over the country, as jazz in Los Angeles is different than jazz in New York, and Broadway jazz is different than jazz in Chicago, which is the birthplace of it all,” Shantelle said.
Besides all the workshops, sightseeing also was on the itinerary. A tour of Radio City Music Hall, which included meeting the Rockettes, was a highlight. Among the other attractions was Top of the Rock, a dinner cruise and Central Park. “There are a lot of talented people, and being here and seeing talent like this makes you want to push harder,” said senior Chelsea Patterson.
For more information on how you can help support the dance program at Skyline High School, please visit www.mpsaz.org, or contact Shantelle Peterson at (480) 472-9400. Skyline High School is located at 845 S. Crismon Road.