PVPUSD Creates Video Compilation to End the Year
To celebrate the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) dance program over the course of the coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine, teachers across the district are helping to put together a video compilation of student choreography and dances learned online. Six Peninsula students from the Advanced Dance, Choreo Company and Coed Choreo teams were chosen to include their videos. After reviewing the self-choreographed and online-learned dance assignments, Peninsula dance teachers have chosen their favorites to be featured in the video.
Though the dance teachers have not decided where to upload the video or when it will be available to view, they hope it will showcase the dancers’ talents while inspiring viewers to stay active and creative during this lockdown. Peninsula’s Advanced Dance, Choreo Company and Coed Choreo dance teacher Kimi Hendrick emphasizes the importance of dance as exercise for the body as well as the mind.
“We want to send the message that dance is important for one’s mental and social health,” Hendrick said. “If nothing else, we can send [the video] to the students to show what great work they did. This is one of my favorite projects we have done [because] the students were really creative with [their] limited space.”
Hendrick assigned two self-choreographed assignments: a table dance and a site-specific piece. The table dance challenged students to create a 30-second dance only utilizing the top half of the dancer’s body. The site-specific piece required students to choreograph a dance incorporating their environment. In addition to self choreography, Hendrick alternated these assignments with online choreography for students to learn.
Varsity Dance, Choreo Company, Coed Choreo member and senior Lani Hollingsworth’s contribution to the dance compilation is her choreography entitled ‘Bleeding Love’, which she learned and recorded for an assignment. Hollingsworth continues to be inspired by the expressiveness of dance and its ability to tell a story. Hollingsworth believes that dancing has taught her a lesson about staying connected with others during quarantine.
“The dance teachers are sending the dance compilation to the district to emphasize the importance of dance even when we are apart and how [our] passion brings us all together in this hard time,” Hollingsworth said. “Our dance teachers encourage us to keep dancing because no matter where we are, we can connect through the power and love of dance.”
Choreo Company captain and senior Mirai Takeuchi not only believes that the video can bring students together, but also how dance is a healthy and creative outlet over the lockdown. Takeuchi feels that this video will be beneficial to students who watch it because it can promote the importance of remaining active and motivated during quarantine.
“At [times] like this, people can get easily depressed, so taking a break from work or technology [is] worthwhile,” Takeuchi said. “Although we cannot dance together and there may be limitations, as long as there is a floor and music, anyone can dance. I hope this video encourages others either [to] dance or find a physical activity they enjoy to [help them] get up and move.”
