John F. Kennedy Memorial High School hosted its 14th Annual JFK Dance Exchange Showcase in the auditorium on Thursday, April 10 at 7 p.m.
Mrs. Perosi heads the production and is the advisor of the Dance Exchange Club. Since November, the dancers have been practicing diligently for the big night. There were 16 student choreographed dances and 21 choreographers. The production was supported by two very dedicated company managers, Michelle Etiene and Ariana Shields.
The crowd was the loudest during the Hispanic New Generation Dance, while the Senior Dance had the most number of dancers performing.
A Night of Talent and Culture
From the opening dance piece to the final bow, the Dance Exchange was a vibrant show of talent, culture, energy and creativity that left the audience cheering. Every performer gave their best, proving how much effort goes into making the show perfect. Each and every dance piece represented a different genre, culture, and country.
“It’s always the students’ voices and their different cultural backgrounds that makes this possible,” Ms. Perosi, the Dance Exchange advisor, stated. “We have never had a Jamaican street dance before, and this year we did. It was called ‘Dance Hall’, and it comes from Jamaica, so that was a new edition.”
A Rich History and How It All Started
JFK’s Dance Exchange was originally founded by history teacher Jackie Mayer and dance teacher Gabby Kadets.
“Ms. Mayer and Ms. Kadets created Dance Exchange with the intent that students would be able to share their cultural backgrounds through dance, and I was honored to take on that role when they left,” Ms. Perosi states. “It was one big vision with a small amount of students, and then it evolved.”
Preparing for the Show
Since the time Dance Exchange has began, it has only gotten more popular over time. Students see the inclusivity in Dance Exchange, and love the fact that they get to express themselves through movement.
“Dance Exchange is all about figuring out what everyone needs and making sure that we are being inclusive through our process,” Ms. Perosi states.
The prep for the show took months of hard work. In late March, students had tech week in which they practiced on stage, finalized logistics and had a full costume run-through to make sure the show would go smoothly.
Michelle Etienne and Ariana Shields have been members of Dance Exchange since their freshman and sophomore years. Dance Exchange allowed them to experience different forms of previously unknown dance styles.
“Seeing everybody’s different cultures definitely broadens my perspective,” Etienne states.
Their leadership played a key role in uniting the dancers, overseeing the dance numbers as well as making everyone feel welcome.
A Memorable Experience
By the time of tech week and the final rehearsals came, the show felt complete.
“Everyone came through,” Ariana states.
The weekly practices brought a sense of unity and fun for the dancers and brought them closer together. However, the most important thing is the students were having fun. Even Mrs. Perosi could not hide her joy and pride of seeing everyone together.
“I’m watching this and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is so wonderful,’” Perosi exclaimed. “I hope that they can learn something about themselves and about life through dance.”
Dance Exchange is one of the biggest events every year at JFKMHS, and every year it impresses and entertains and shows how amazing our Mustangs are.
