Ayear ago, Vista View Middle School teacher Jenessa Wood started a dance program in response to a student survey in which students expressed their love for dance and their desire for a dance class at Vista View.
By June 2024, the program had been successfully estab lished, with 85 students participating in six performances. Dance team members displayed their talents at the Ocean View School District’s Music Festival, the Festival of the Arts, and the first-ever Vista View Dance Showcase.
The response from students has paved the way for an expanded dance program for the 24/25 school year. Students are not only developing their artistic talents but also enhancing their teamwork, discipline, and confidence—skills that will benefit them in all areas of life.
These elective classes will focus on specific genres of dance and provide opportunities to learn and perform dances connected to the cultures of our student body. For instance, students will learn a Latin dance and a dance appropriate for Lunar New Year to perform for the student body and families.
This initiative highlights the opportunities available to Ocean View School District students, where the arts play a significant role in their educational experience.