VARSITY ARTS
BY PENNY E. SCHWARTZ
Keely Thomas can’t remember a time when she wasn’t dancing. She started as a child and has never stopped, the Hemet High School sophomore said. Following in the footsteps of her older sister, Keely joined the school’s Varsity Dance Club, a creative outlet where she has learned discipline, technique and teamwork. Auditioning in a group of about 60 dancers, Keely, 15, made the cut for the team last fall. The team started the school year with about 26 students and is down to about 19 through attrition, she said. One male dancer is part of the coed group, which performs at school halftime events, pep rallies and two dance concerts a year. “The club is fun and it is nice to be part of a team,” Keely said of the afterschool activity. A variety of dance styles from hiphop and jazz to lyrical and ballet make up the curriculum. In addition to dancing with the group, each member has a specific job, such as choreography, costuming or editing the musical accompaniment. Keely, who enjoys the jazz style best, recently choreographed a duet for the winter dance concert. She also has edited music for the group. “Having a job has given me responsibility,” Keely said. She enjoys the new friendships she has made and hopes to continue on the team for the rest of high school. Her career goals include choreogra- phy or production for dance shows. “Making sure that kids are involved in a school activity is important,” said Marcia Thomas, Keely's mother, who works as a first-grade teacher. “The dance club gets Keely out in public with a great group of friends and teaches her discipline and technique.” Coaching the club is Dewarne Long, who came on board three years ago. He took over an activity that had been developed and run for more than 30 years by one teacher. Since, he has been working hard to put his own stamp on the program. “My goal is to get the students trained classically in ballet, modern and jazz dance styles,” said Long, who is a trained dancer with a backgound in ballet, jazz, ethnic and modern dance. “I want to get them ready to compete this winter.” Creating a close-knit team also is an important goal of Long's. “I stress how important it is to support each other and how to master skills as a team,” he said. Each club member is required to host an event outside of school for the other members. Giving team members job responsibilities, such as choreography, is another important facet of Long’s training. “Keely’s duet for the winter concert showed an enhanced type of choreography,” he said. “Her skills go beyond the norm and she is open to experimentation, to new ideas and skills.” Keely takes issue with those who do not consider dance a sport. “We put in just as much effort and need just as much physical ability as those in other sports, maybe more,” she said. “And we suffer just as many injuries,” said the young dancer who has dislocated her knees in the past. “Dancing is the best of both worlds, both a sport and a performing art,” she said. CONTACT THE WRITER: [email protected]