Even though dancers are some of the most skilled athletes in the world, people don’t always  acknowledge their strength and dexterity. One aspiring dancer at Arcadia High School (AHS) is freshman Anisha Singh, who is currently enrolled in intermediate dance. In a recent interview, Singh shares her experiences as a dancer and how her school environment encouraged her growth as a dancer.

Singh’s journey as a dancer started at the age of 4-years-old when she was exposed to dance, specifically Bollywood.  “My mom would teach my sister and I Bollywood dance for events like talent shows and family functions,” Singh elaborates.

Throughout her childhood, her primary teacher was her mother, and she never attended dance classes at an official studio. “I love the relationship between the choreography and the music. I also enjoy the process of learning a dance, and the feeling of accomplishment I get when I finally execute the choreography correctly, which is when I can start to really have fun with the dance,” Singh shared.

In her early years, Singh attended First Avenue Middle School (FAMS), where she had the opportunity to dance each day during her elective, which was dance. The class, however, was online in response to COVID-19. 

 “COVID affected my ability to dance because when dance classes were online, I had a hard time motivating myself to dance, and it wasn’t as much fun without my classmates there,” Singh explained. 

She continued dancing from home, but found it difficult to learn choreography and coordinate with other students without physically being in the same room as them. When in-person classes were resumed in 2021, Singh enrolled in the dance class both semesters of her eighth grade year. The class combined dance history with the basic dance techniques needed to advance to high levels of dance. In this class, Singh had the opportunity to improve her dancing skills and learn more about the history of dance and different styles. Along the way, Singh also received guidance from her amazing dance teacher, Mrs. Young, who inspired her and helped her improve. 

“Mrs. Young teaches the dance classes at First Avenue, and she was a great teacher. She definitely helped me gain confidence as a dancer and helped me learn technique. Her class was also lots of fun and always kept me motivated to dance,” stated Singh.

A few months prior to attending AHS, Singh tried out for intermediate dance and got in. Intermediate dance is a more difficult dance class offered at AHS and is the middle ground between beginner’s dance and Orchesis. “Here at AHS, there’s also a great dance program, and I look forward to growing as a dancer throughout my years here,” Singh commented. 

Even though Singh shares a strong passion for dance, she notes some of her future plans. 

“I don’t plan on dancing professionally, but I love to do it as a hobby, so I’m hoping to continue dancing throughout high school and try out for Orchesis.” 

Singh also expressed her wish to join dance clubs in college. 

“To people just learning to dance, I would say that you should be ready to make mistakes and get things wrong because, although it can be hard at first and you might be a little hesitant, once you get the hang of it, dancing can actually be a lot of fun,” Singh explained. 

The dance program at AHS offers a wide variety of dance related topics and resources for those interested in pursuing dance professionally, or just for fun. So if you are interested in dance, don’t hesitate to check out the AHS website for more information.  

Photo by Ainsley Najafzadeh