From Feb. 13-16, while most students were relaxing over the four-day weekend, ten Dance 5 students were in Washington State for NHSDF: Northwest Regional High School’s Dance Festival. Five of these students returned with multiple scholarships each, that totaled nearly $300,000; yet, none of them have accepted these scholarships.
Miyah Amonette, Bayli Fuchs, Claire Koch, Madelyn Orr and Katie Martin.
The students that received scholarships on the trip.
From courtesy of Liberty Dance program.
NHSDF and the Audition
The trip was planned entirely by chaperone and dance teacher Leslie Williams. According to Williams, “At NHSDF, high school students around the country take classes from professionals that provide insight on different techniques. They also get the opportunity to audition for colleges, and the colleges can admit them into their Bachelors (or BFA) programs, or give scholarship money.”
The entire Dance 5 class was invited to attend the festival, but only ten signed up, including five students who signed up for the college audition on Feb. 14. Those auditioning then kept their audition number for the rest of the trip, so that college admissions officers could observe them in multiple classes. It’s through that observation that colleges get to know how each student adapts to a variety of dance styles, teaching styles and environments.
By the end of the trip, all five auditionees were offered two to three scholarships each, from colleges such as Dean College in Massachusetts, Lindenwood University in Missouri and Colorado State University. However, none of them have accepted these scholarships.
Seniors Bayli Fuchs and Madelyn Orr both stated that, while the audition put their skills to the test in a fun, yet challenging way, neither of the dancers were applying to the colleges that offered them scholarships. Fuchs said, “I didn’t apply to any of the schools, so I didn’t really take advantage of any of the scholarships. But, if the University of Oregon offered any scholarships, I probably would’ve accepted.”
Another complication was with two of the auditionees, Miyah Amonette and Katie Martin, being juniors. Since they can’t use their scholarships for another year, and haven’t figured out what their future beyond high school looks like yet, they’re both hesitant to accept the scholarships they received. Martin explained, “… I am still considering my options and opportunities, so as of right now; I haven’t accepted or declined either scholarships.”
The Community in Dance
Aside from the festival itself, this trip was meant to connect the students with each other, and strengthen their bonds as dancers and friends. As Williams expressed, “It was really all about the kids. So, my favorite part of the trip was at the end of the day, hearing about all the amazing things they learned and the things that they wanted to bring back to Liberty to share with the students here.”
Most of the attending students signed up late for classes, resulting in most of the same classes together. This ended up bringing them closer throughout the trip, while allowing them all to broaden their knowledge of dance technique and styles.
For Martin, the Intermediate Limon Technique Class provided an especially interesting way of approaching dance. As she explained, “the professor made us connect with the movement on a different level, by having us audibly scream while dancing. Dance is used as an emotional outlet for many people, and being able to let go and scream during a class was an incredible experience,” she said.
On the final day, everyone bought small stuffed animals to keep as mementos from the trip. Bringing back scholarships, stuffed animals, and plenty of memories was the entire point of the trip, and Williams hopes to make it a regular trip.
