Since 2006 Warsaw Community High School has provided a state-of-the-art performing arts center for its students. As administrators and builders looked at plans and designs of the new addition to the building, it was decided by then-principal Dr. Jennifer Lucht that a multipurpose room would be changed to a dance room. She knew that dance would be the thing that would round out the performing arts center. “It evolved into a really nice dance studio,” said Assistant Principal Jennifer Shepherd. “Once we had that, we were using it for large ensembles, when choir needed to do choreography, and of course the hip hop dance team [after school].” After Warsaw Community Schools went through a OrthoWorx study in 2009, that focused on progressing schools toward a student-focused, community-driven strategic plan to help students in their studies and make the community more attractive for those living in it, WCHS wanted to draw more people to the arts, and dance was the first one it pursued. Shepherd met with WCS Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz, and together they visited Lee Anne Stewart and Debra Collier, who own two main dance studios in the area, and discussed what a dance program might look like at the high school. “We certainly didn’t want to infringe on their opportunities,” said Shepherd. “We didn’t feel like we would have the resources to even remotely be competitive with them, which was again not the goal.” They also traveled to Penn High School in Mishawaka to see how their dance program grew and received information on how theirs began. Shepherd and Hintz then talked with Artistic Director Scott Michaels at the Wagon Wheel Theatre because of his experience with teaching dance in Wisconsin. “He shared with us kind of how he structured some of his courses,” said Shepherd. Shepherd wanted to take a broad approach in teaching different dance styles and settled upon having students study styles from the early 1900s through current times instead of focusing on specific types such as ballet or tap. “They’re learning a lot of different types of dance,” said Shepherd. “They’re learning technique, and they’re learning warm-up exercises, and they’re learning a lot about muscles and different kinds of things and the way their body works as a dancer. It’s pretty well rounded.” Once they had a layout of how the program would look, it was time to interview for dance instructors. Warsaw ended up hiring Courtney Brown, an instructor from Debra Collier’s School of Dance. As a dancer for 17 years and an instructor for seven, it only made sense for Brown to take the job at WCHS. “When I was a senior in high school, Deb Collier gave me the opportunity to teach a few younger-age intro classes,” said Brown. “In the fall after I graduated I didn’t really have a plan and she was in need of a teacher, and I went and it just kept going. I’ve always loved dance, and then I came here. It seemed like a good idea.” Right away Brown noticed the difference between teaching at a dance school and teaching a dance elective at a high school. “The students at the dance school chose to be there,” she said. “They pay to be there. It’s only once a week that they get to come and spend 45 minutes to an hour and a half, so that time is precious for them. Whereas here, it’s put in to their schedule, and yes they get to chose it because it’s an elective, but it’s still school work.” At the high school Brown teaches three different classes including Dance Performance, Dance Choreography and Dance History. Even though the classes focus on vocabulary, history and culture, they also include performances around the community including art shows and students traveling to elementary schools. Brown believes that dance is important for everyone to incorporate into their lives, especially with the large amount of overweight young adults in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than one-third of U.S. adults are overweight and approximately 17 percent of young adults are obese. In a recent study, the CDC reported that the adult obesity rate will rise to 42 percent by 2030. Brown realizes that getting students to take dance classes while in high school will help them make better choices in terms of their health later in their life. She even sees improvement in her students’ overall health and flexibility since the beginning of the year. While the physical benefits are easily recognized, Brown also believes that dance can help individuals grow mentally, and can help people learn new things about themselves. “The self-awareness and the self-respect that it can bring a person is worth it,” she said. “You learn so much about your body and so much about who you are and to be able to express yourself. Overall it makes your life more enriched and more full, and easier to enjoy.”
