There are many opportunities in the dance world, one of those being the National High School Dance Festival from Feb 26 to Mar 2. Even though there are classes in the department, some dancers get the chance to join different classes such as Soul Hop, Salsa, Hip Hop, Modern, and even Musical Jazz classes.

“Overall I had a super great time taking all sorts of different classes and I enjoyed meeting and seeing all the different dancers from around the world,” said Sherie Torres.

This trip is also a chance to leave Florida for a bit and take a moment to expand on their knowledge of dance and experiment with different styles.

“Getting the opportunity to go to Pittsburgh and take classes from prestigious teachers was so fun and such a great learning opportunity,” exclaimed Abby Buckley.  “There were various classes to choose from which led myself and others to take classes that were out of our comfort zones.”

Samai Portillo added, “I personally think that this trip helped me appreciate my talent and passion for dance even more because I was able to fully see the beauty of dance in so many different ways and how dance is able to tell a story through body movements. I got to know myself better as a dancer, things that I wouldn’t have learned if it wasn’t because of this experience.”

Students that signed up for this festival were able to attend and join people from across the country and even from overseas.

“I had the best time at the National High School Dance Festival in Pittsburgh with the dance department,” said Sarah Johnson. “Taking these trips is always so fun because I get to experience new classes and new places while spending time with my friends as well. Overall we all had a great time and it provided us many opportunities to grow as dancers.”

In the end, the majority of the dance students were able to attend this wonderful trip, enjoying several classes, and even walk around and enjoy the sights of Pittsburgh.