For the first time since 2019, Westview reintroduced a dance class this year, with Lynne Ingstad teaching it.

“[I want this class to be how] it would be if they took a dance class in a college setting,” she said. “[It’s important that I am] really teaching that environment and getting them exposed to that.”

This term, Ingstad plans to integrate different kinds of dance into the curriculum. 

“[I plan] to dive into the different genres and styles of dance,” she said. “We started off the quarter just doing basic movements, so more like a beginning jazz. We are currently in our modern, lyrical, and contemporary unit. We’re also going to go into ballet and then we’re going to do a cultural unit where we’re going to explore different styles, such as Bollywood and Irish dance. [I want the dancers] to explore all the different genres and backgrounds and history of the different dance forms.”

In the beginning dance class, there are many varying levels of experience. Angela Velez (12) who is returning to dance after five years, said that she thinks Ingstad does a good job of integrating the different levels. 

“There are some people who have a good amount of experience and some people who maybe this is the first time, so she’ll start off kind of slow and she’ll allow people who have more experience to demonstrate [the combinations],” she said.

In addition, Coral Kangas (11), who is on Westviews Dance Troupe, finds going back to the basics to be helpful. 

“For people who don’t have as much dance experience, it’s a little difficult but I think [Ms Ingstad] pushes them in a healthy way,” she said. “I really enjoy it because with dance team, it’s a lot of competition and I don’t really have as much time to go back to the basics and go through a technique class. I utilize that time to update my skills and to go through the process again.”

Shannon Parker, the founder of Westview’s dance program and now assistant principal, paved the way for the current dance classes to be possible.

In October of 2002 many students from Mt. Carmel were transferring to Westview. Since they had an award-winning dance team, there was a need for a dance program at Westview. 

“[Mt. Carmel students] needed something at Westview,” Parker said. “I knew that there were skilled technical dancers on that campus who had to leave Mt. Carmel and were dancing in their program and on their team and wanted somewhere to belong.” 

After running the program from 2002-2012, Parker left the dance program to teach ASB.

“From 2012 to 2018 it was a revolving door of different coaches and teachers [that came in to] try and manage a class. In order to handle the level of talent we had at the time, [while also having] a qualified teacher was a struggle,” she said. 

Parker said dance teachers have been in and out of Westview because the program was not big enough to be a full-time job for a teacher. 

“There were many years of trying to find the right fit and the right person that would keep it going,” she said. “ A teacher would work for maybe a year or two and then that person would eventually leave to go find full-time work or to move on. “Prior to COVID-19, we decided that it was just going to be a team.”

However, today, Westview decided to give the dance class another try due to requests from students and parents. 

Ingstad and Parker believe that dance is vital to the health and well-being of the students. 

“I love dance because it teaches really good body and mind connection, and more than that, it teaches memory skills,” Ingstad said. “So when they’re having to watch and memorize the combos and the patterns, I think it really helps increase those study skills [so that] they can soak up the materials, and then recite them right away.”

Not only does dance enhance physical abilities, according to Ingstad, but it also increases confidence. 

“I think dance can be the conduit to exploring how you can physically show up and build confidence in that physicality around ourselves,” Parker said. “One of the advantages dance can bring to students is the idea of exploring the physicality and the vulnerability around your body being your instrument and what it is that you are using to communicate.