Flint Hill has been known for providing various unique fine arts programs for decades, but this selection is becoming smaller in the new year. Flint Hill announced that this school year will be the last of the dance program. At Flint Hill, students can take dance classes of varying difficulties to receive their art credit. The dance classes covered jazz, ballet, lyrical, and contemporary styles and focused on learning and analyzing professional dancers and their work. 

Head of School Patrick McHonett explained to a group of students how the class numbers have been consistently decreasing over the past several years and how he must choose where to utilize our facilities and resources. Ariel Harper, Upper School Dance Teacher, will leave the school at the end of the year. One student who chose to stay anonymous expressed her stress to me, stating, “While I understand, I know this comes with a great deal of disappointment. I wonder why we wouldn’t choose to cut the dance team before the classes, as they have even less engagement”. It is unknown if the dance studio in the upper school fine arts hallway will be transformed into a classroom or will remain in place for the dance team. This spring will be the last time the group performs in the annual Arts Jam with the rest of the fine arts department. With this in mind, the Arts Jam performance would be a great show to attend to support our community dancers and the other people who put determination, hard work, and love into creating the program we know and love today. 

Another student, sophomore Brooke Crickenberger, expressed appreciation for this program, stating, “I’ve learned so much from this program, and it was an escape from the stresses of school. The community feels like a family, and while I know it is a small part of our school community, it is significant to me”. Brooke opened up to me with genuine feelings about her appreciation for Flint Hill Dance, which she will no doubt miss. Initially, it is easy to look at the statistics and realize it is time for the program to go, but in reality, it is not as simple as that. The dance classes may be coming to an end, but the memories, life lessons, and connections will last a lifetime for these students and their place in our school community.