Upper Schooler Mentors Middle School Dance Ensemble

The Middle School dance ensemble is enjoying a cross-division collaboration as they work with Sophie C. ’26 in their weekly dance rehearsals. Sophie has choreographed a hip-hop piece for the group, which will be presented in May for the Middle School. She works to create choreography, and then presents and teaches it to the class. It’s a special opportunity in Upper School mentorship for Middle School students. 

“It's been amazing to watch all members of the ensemble work hard to understand and learn the dance, little by little,” said Sophie. “The choreography pushes their abilities, and they improve every day. Their great work ethic makes my job a lot easier!”

 

Through Sophie’s mentorship, Middle School students can also see leadership possibilities for themselves. Dance teacher Danielle Pigneri also shares that the situation is a “win-win” as Sophie gets hands-on experience practicing choreography with a large group for her fall dance concert.

 

“I believe that working with Sophie has greatly influenced not only mine but other students' love of dance,” shared Olivia D. ’28. “The K-12 mentorship Poly offers has allowed me to make connections with those in other grades that I otherwise most likely would not have had the opportunity to interact with.”

 

Sophie shared that her love of dance has also grown from the opportunity. As a young dancer, one is often learning choreography from other instructors. At Poly, Sophie has a chance to experiment with her own style and teaching pedagogy.

 

“What better place to try new things than right here within the close-knit Poly community? I've been able to create some new bonds with the Middle Schoolers I teach, and it's always great to say ‘hi!’ when we see each other around campus.”