Mission Statement

The West Orange High School Dance Program offers access to a high quality dance education informed by New Jersey State, National Art Standards and ongoing professional development in the field of dance education. Through the study of dance, students will develop as performers, choreographers, researchers, historians, and critics. Students will collaborate with one another frequently in the dance classroom, working closely with their peers to construct their own knowledge of how dance is relevant to their lives.

The program offers beginning, intermediate, and advanced level courses that can be taken in progression throughout the course of a student’s time in high school. Students who are interested in pursuing dance as a career will have the advantage of developing their choreographic abilities in preparation for a college conservatory setting. Those who do not wish to pursue dance but do have in interest in engaging with it in other ways will have the opportunity to develop technical skills, wellness practices, and an aesthetic that will allow for further appreciation of dance as an engaged audience member.

The program is also dedicated fostering pro-social and emotional relationships among students. The program is designed to engage students who are new to dance and may be trying it for the first time alongside those who have many years of experience.