Jayme Host and students from Dickey Elementary School smile after a great dance performance.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - On April 23, Dickey Elementary School students in the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades took center stage at Lock Haven University’s Sloan Auditorium.

Dickey Elementary School follows Renzulli’s Schoolwide Enrichment Model, and dance was an interest activity that many students chose to participate in. They had 6 practice sessions leading up to their performance. They spent 2 weeks on ballet, 2 weeks on modern dance, and the rest of the time preparing for the performance.

Associate Professor of Dance Jayme Host and several of her LHU dance students worked with the elementary students as they prepared a dance related to modern technology. From electric can openers to computers, all aspects of modern technology were expressed in music and a variety of dance styles.

For most of the students, this was their first experience with dance. Mrs. Stacie Burns, K-5 enrichment specialist at Dickey Elementary School, watched the students grow in confidence and skill over the course of their instruction.

The students themselves explained what they learned from the experience. Among their comments were the following: “Miss Jayme got us to all work together. We worked as a team.” “We had to practice, practice, practice. We couldn’t give up or quit!” “We had the opportunity to learn different types of dances.” “We learned how to overcome our fear of performing in front of others.”

The final payoff came when the entire school turned out to watch their final performance. Everyone in the audience was amazed at how well all the dancers performed.

One of the student dancers summed up the entire experience in three words: “It was FUN!”