DCS Montessori dance team a huge hit
by Tracy Dudley
When Karen DePretis started working at DCS Montessori five years ago, she would see girls out at recess trying to do cartwheels. Because she has been dancing, baton twirling, and teaching dance most of her life, her natural inclination was to step in and help.
“When they asked how I knew so much, I told them about my history,” said DePretis. “Watching them day after day gave me the idea of organizing their energy into a dance team.”
All of the girls were instantly thrilled, and the group opened the opportunity up to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at the school, with no experience required. Twenty three girls and one boy started practicing during recess and, eventually, one evening a month. After the team really started to click, DePretis decided to offer both a school assembly performance and an evening performance to expand the benefit of the program.
“The staff and students embraced the team so much, that it has become a mainstay in our school. Each year the team continues to grow, and more and more boys want to be part of it,” said DePretis.
The DCS Montessori dance team – currently made up of 45 girls and 7 boys – has generated a lot of school spirit and has been a wonderful teamwork experience for everyone. This year’s school assembly show, “Dancing Round the World,” premiers May 19. The family and friend performance follows May 20 at 7 p.m. in the school gymnasium.
“It is pretty amazing when you see how the students develop and perform. To be honest, I am truly amazed at the level of performance. I only have one child who has prior experience. We do various numbers, including the Can-Can, Irish Dancing, and Cong.”
The team is now strictly an after school program practicing every Tuesday and Wednesday until 4:30 p.m., with one “super” practice once a month until 8:30 p.m. By putting in more than 100 hours of practice each year, the dance team works very hard, but it also has great fun!
For more information about DCS Montessori, go to www.dcsmontessori.org.
