They danced to their own tune.
David A. Boody Junior High School’s dance students wowed on May 29 and 30 during a recital dubbed “The Life of a Dancer.” The school’s principal said the event displayed dexterity but also showed where rhythm and acrobatics fit into a well-rounded education.
“Through dance we’re able to do a lot of learning to support the math, the English language arts, and other core subject areas,” said Dominick D’Angelo.
The recital began with a video clip about the science behind shaking it, but soon students were jumping and jiving in numbers that illustrated what it’s like to live a life full of rigorous practice, trying auditions, and big, on-stage payoffs.
The school also screened a film that digital art magnet made in collaboration with dancers called “Children Serving Children.” The film documents eigth-graders who performed for young cancer patients at Maimonides Medical Center. The students first twisted and shouted for the young convalescents during a Brighton Beach Ballet recital at Kingsborough Community College, but when they found out the kids were actually too under-the-weather to come to the show, Boody students took their act bed-side and visited kids in the hospital.
Students said they wanted to use their gift to make the world better.
“Since we all have a passion for dance, we should dance for a cause,” said eighth-grader Mariah Fuentes.
The performance and gifts had patients dancing on air.
“It was really meaningful for the pediatric oncology patients,” said Godni Amir Liteman, president of A Free Bird, which helps young people affected by cancer.
If you missed the performances this year, you can catch it again in 2015, said dance instructor Jan Ford.
“My seventh-grades are already asking ‘why cant we do this?’ ” she said.
