Dance 1 and 2 students are diving into their world cultural dance unit, exploring global traditions through movement.

Through traditional movements, global rhythms, and cultural storytelling, dance students are learning how dance connects people across continents and generations.

But this unit isn’t just about choreography, it’s about understanding the history, meaning, and identity behind each style.

“The goal of students learning to teach other students is just for them to broaden their horizons,” dance teacher Nicole Nothe said. “Stepping in and learning a new culture and being able to learn that and then teach it to their peers is a big part of the experience.”

During the unit, students aren’t just learning cultural dances; they’re teaching their own styles to their classmates, helping everyone experience the movement firsthand.

“I feel a lot of privilege to teach my peers the dance that I am representing,” freshman Mokshitha Pabathi said. “It’s a new skill for me and an experience of teaching somebody something new that I learned by myself, while making sure they represent the culture properly.”