After performing and teaching more than 700,000 students in Los Angeles, Versa-Style Dance Company brought music and dance to St. Mary’s School, Thursday, Nov. 10. The thumping sounds and beat of hip-hop and Afro-Latin music could be heard coming from the school as the student body was engaged with an interactive performance. After a short break, the Versa-Style dancers provided a dance workshop for third- through fifth-grade students.
This was the first time the dance company has brought their dance expression to the Santa Maria Valley.
“Versa-Style thoroughly enjoyed the energy and excitement from the St. Mary’s students. They were attentive and well behaved throughout both our performance and workshop,” Harry Weston, lead dancer and manager for Versa-Style Dance Company, said in a press release.
“We’re thrilled St. Mary’s School was their first workshop and performance in the area,” Michelle Cox, St. Mary’s School principal, said in the press release. “What better way to actively engage our students in the arts than through dance and music. Art is a critical component in our curriculum. It allows children to use their imagination. I know the Versa-Style Dance Company helped teach our students how to express themselves through dance.”
The event was made possible by the William H. Kearns Foundation; Audacious Foundation; and Susan McMillan and Tom Kenny, accordimg to Cathy Oliverson, director of education, UCSB Arts & Lectures.
This article appears in Nov 24 – Dec 1, 2016.