New opportunities for young dancers

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Abigail Hong

Members of the DBHS Dance Company will teach children at the youth camp.

Diamond Bar High School’s dance company will be holding its first Dance Youth Camp and Performance to encourage kids in the community to get on their feet and dance.

The camp will be held on Nov. 16 from 9 a.m.  to 1 p.m. for children 5 to 12 years old.  The high school dancers will offer basic dance training to the youngsters along with teaching them a full dance routine.

Participants will come back and perform the routine in the dance concert at DBHS on Nov. 22.    

Seeking to raise money for the upcoming competition season, dance company director Kari Simonson and the members of dance company are also very excited to give kids this opportunity.

“Well it’s a fundraiser for us, but also to just kind of involve ourselves more in the community and to share who we are and what we’re about and involve the youth,” Simonson said.

The camp will be led by seniors Rachel Kim and Melody Rong as well as the rest of the dance company leaders.

Students will experience what it is like to be a dance instructor and how to teach a large group.

“Dance is one of the few things in life that is a place where people of all different backgrounds can come together and enjoy,” Rong said. “Having the privilege to teach a dance class is insane and I’m really grateful for opportunities like these.”

The event is open to children in kindergarten to fifth grade and the cost is  $45 per person. Included in the package are a T-shirt and dinner that will be provided on the night of the dance concert.

Wanting to ensure a well-thought and meaningful routine, the leaders are currently preparing  choreography for the event.

“I wanted to teach one of the workshops because I wanted to share what I love doing with other people, especially those who are not part of the dance team,” Kim said. “I wanted to spread our passion and build a strong culture of art within the school.”

Registration to attend ends on Nov. 8. Registration forms can be found online at dbhs.org.