Salsa dancing as PE at Shorecrest

Shorecrest High School in Shoreline, Washington, has taken a new and exciting twist to their PE classes. The Phys Ed teachers and Debi Olson, Shorecrest PTSA Co-president, wrote a grant to the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council and received $900 to hire a highly-trained professional Salsa expert to teach their students the classic art of Salsa and the Latin-based music that accompanies it. 

Typical DanceIt! class session

With creative scheduling of class time, the teachers made it possible for 120 students to participate weekly together. They felt that this would be an amazing opportunity to bring culture, community and respectful social dancing to teenagers whose main dance experience is limited to what they see on television or in movies.

"It's also a LOT more fun than running laps," said Olson. "The students are loving it and it's given them a whole new perspective regarding the possibilities of socializing in a fun and healthy way as well as an exercise alternative."

There are only two classes left per this grant: Wednesday, April 27 and Wednesday, May 4, 10:30am - 12:00pm in the Shorecrest gym.

Teaching alternative and fun dance styles to the students is a fabulous way to give them other choices than the "grind dancing" which has parents and administrators at odds with the students over what is appropriate at school-sponsored dances.

Olson says, "Shorecrest and the community would like to encourage other high schools to create this type of program to make a positive difference for their own students and help resolve the issues they're having with their school dances."

Dance instruction is provided by local social dancing business/network DanceIt!   Contact Lise Baadh for more information.

See previous story:  DanceIt! brings back the swing in dancing