ARTS FEATURE
A DANCE STORY
Lessons in Creativity and Confidence
For CPA Dance , creativity and confidence are at the center of all technical training and expression . CPA ’ s extracurricular dance companies give students grades 4-12 the experience of professional dance communities , honing technique , team cohesion , and performance skills in a competitive and fun environment .
This year , the program hosted its first-ever exclusive dance showcase , DanceFest , featuring lower school , middle school , and upper school company performances in the brand new Soli Deo Center . The theme of the night was Rise Together , speaking to a deeper goal to seek God through the gifts of movement , music , and expression , and lift others up along the way .
Dance , the first art form historically associated with worship , is a powerful social and artistic medium in our culture .
Instructors Kenzie Haynes ( lower school ), Paige Sottek ( middle school ), and Carolyne Brown ( upper school ), work to give students a broad array of skills across all genres – ballet , hip-hop , jazz , etc ., while also equipping them to see the art of movement as sacred space to glorify God .
“ Some faith-based environments have traditionally shied away from competitive dance since those narratives are so dominant in secular culture , but with the understanding that God , the chief creator and choreographer , made us as expressive beings capable of joy and power in movement , we claim this space for our students ,” says Director of US Dance Company Carolyne Brown . “ We find so much delight in dance , whether moving to ‘ Jump ’ by Kris Kross or classical ballet .”
For this team of instructors , it ’ s all about helping dancers find the confidence to perform – discovering their own inner beauty as they are fearfully and wonderfully made .
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38 PURPLE & GOLD 2020-21