Read more about how four seniors with extensive backgrounds in dance are working to establish a community for students who share the same passion for dance as they do at Potomac Falls. 

Monday mornings at Potomac Falls High School’s (PFHS) main gym doesn’t contain the typical athletes one may expect to find. Instead of the echo of basketballs bouncing or shoes squeaking, music fills the space. A group of students counts under their breath, marking steps, and learning choreography. This is the newly founded Dance Club at PFHS, a space for students to express themselves through dance. 

Founded by seniors Lacie Martin, Isabelle Freidson, Arianna Martin, and Keeley Greer, Dance Club was created to give students a place to dance in the school. “Dance Club is for people to explore dance as a whole and see what kind of styles they like and just have fun,” said Lacie.

When talking about the inspiration for starting the club, Arianna explained how the officers “wanted to bring dance back to the school in some sort of form but not make it limited to only a small number of people.” 

Each founder brings years of experience to the club, with all four having over 10 years of experience in dance. Their backgrounds span over multiple styles; the club offers a variety rather than a focus on just one genre. “I do many different types of dance. My favorite is contemporary, but I also do hip hop, ballet, and jazz,” said Freidson. 

Despite the experience of the founders, Dance Club meetings are intentionally low pressure. The club meets every Monday and is open to anyone, regardless of skill level. 

The club is structured so that each officer teaches a meeting every week, leading a class on their own. “Every week we switch up who’s teaching a style of dance. That way we all get to perform our respective talents,” said Lacie.

Dance Club has also performed at pep rallies, such as the Homecoming pep rally in October. They have a different structure when preparing for performances. The officers begin by picking a song to perform, similar to the ABBA mashup they performed in October, and then section off the parts they want to dance to. “We have an officer meeting where we put all of our pieces together and at the next meeting, we teach that whole choreography together,” said Arianna. 

The club has taken off, already having performed at pep rallies (aforementioned) and taken its first field trip. The club went to watch the Hispanic Flamenco Ballet at Stonebridge High School on November 24. “We got to watch the performance and there was an interactive part where you were invited on stage to dance with some of the dancers,” said Arianna. 

Looking ahead, Dance Club plans to perform at the winter pep rally on December 19, to a Christmas song. “We are hoping to be able to perform during halftime at a basketball game as well,” said Freidson. 

With music playing and students counting beats, Dance Club is bringing energy and community to PFHS, one box step at a time.