For the second year in a row, every Frisco ISD beginner high school dance program earned Division 1s at the annual Dance Educators Assessment of Learning.

All Frisco ISD high schools have consistently participated in DEAL, in a testament to the District’s commitment to educational excellence and regular assessment.

During each school’s session, students learn a brand-new routine, incorporating their knowledge of basic dance terms and movements, and are judged by an expert panel.

A DEAL instructing choreographer teaches students the dance, then turns it over to their campus director, who also just learned the routine for the first time. The dance directors work with their own students within a certain time limit before it’s time to perform.

The two-day DEAL not only assesses dancers’ performance, but their communication skills both with each other and their own director.

This year, Memorial High School beginner dancers kicked off Day 2 on their own stage. They pliéd and relevéd and tendued on eight-counts, with and without music, asking Memorial dance director Sara Denman questions when it was her time with them. They rehearsed again and again, cleaning their movements and twirling as one with every repetition.

After the final performances, the judges came forward to share their thoughts with dancers and their director, perched on the stage’s edge.

Judges praised Memorial students’ eye contact with their director, their attention to detail and their technical skill. At one point during rehearsal, Denman had noticed her dancers were tense and told them to “shake it out.” Judges noticed and gave her kudos for helping students relax and get back into guided focus.

“There’s clearly great rapport between you and your instructor,” judge Jon Fisher told the dancers. Later, as students were on stage learning they had earned a Division 1, Fisher called them “stellar.”

“They knew their vocabulary, they knew their skills, they were confident,” he said. “That says the director has done an excellent job of presenting the curriculum throughout the year — her dancers were very prepared.”

Congratulations to all the beginner dancers and their directors!

- Rachel McReynolds