St. Thomas Aquinas High School hosts an annual Christmas-themed dance recital for the students in dance class. This year’s Winter Dance Recital took place on Tuesday, December 2nd, in the Bienes Center for the Arts. The dance recital aimed to showcase the skills that the students and dance class have learned in the first semester. The choreographer of the dance team and teacher of dance-related fitness classes is Ms. Virginio; she works in the Fine Arts, Health, and Physical Education department. Throughout her time as a teacher at STA, she has choreographed numerous dance routines, lighting up the audience one plié at a time. This year, the dance students collectively performed 20 dance routines. Throughout STA’s 99-year history, the school has built a reputation in athletics, especially when it comes to dance.

The first performance was at 6:00 pm, and the second one began at 7:30 pm. For the 90 minute duration of the recital, the dancers performed to a full auditorium, kicking off the Winter Fine Arts concert series with style and flair. All of the students in Dance Techniques I through III and Choreography and Performance I through IV showcased a range of talent, performing alongside talented members of the STA Dance Team to popular holiday tunes.  

Throughout the first semester, the dance students have been learning how to dance in groups. A group dance is increasingly more difficult than a solo performance because timing and connection between the dancers are crucial. This shows that the Dance Techniques students are participating in a rigorous curriculum.  Students enrolled in Choreography class selected and edited their own music, choreographing rigorous routines to challenge their classmates and dazzle the audience.  STA’s dancers are preparing themselves for more difficult tasks, which is very important for dance improvement. Overall, the Christmas Dance Recital was a magnificent experience for dance students and audience members alike. All a part of the exhilarating holiday performance.