By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
At Mount St. Michael Catholic School, principal Melissa Castro said a popular dance program has become a tradition that forms not only skilled dancers but young people who carry themselves with respect and confidence.
The school first adopted the Dance to Success program, formerly known as Dancing Classrooms, in 2009. Participation paused during COVID-19, but Castro brought it back two years ago after seeing the impact it made on previous generations of students.
“Students who went on to high school would come back and tell us they were often the only ones who knew how to dance,” Castro said. “It’s something that our graduates from the early years of the program still talk about.”
The program’s influence spans siblings and grade levels. Lily Lynch, a seventh grader currently participating in the classes, recalled the impact that learning to dance had on her older brother.
“I have enjoyed seeing my older brother going to dances,” Lynch said, “and him previously learning the dances and being able to use those skills to dance at dances.”
In the classes, Mount St. Michael students in the fifth through eighth grades learn how to merengue, foxtrot, rumba, tango, swing, and waltz. Castro said the lessons teach more than footwork, helping students learn social graces. As part of the program, boys and girls are referred to as gentlemen and ladies, beginning each dance with, “May I have this dance?” and “With pleasure.”
“It helps teach an aspect of how we want our young men and women to be,” Castro said. “It also just shows them the beauty of the different dances.”
Castro said the dance classes reflect Mount St. Michael’s mission by shaping how students relate to one another.
“It’s in the way they interact with each other,” she said. “After they’ve gone through the program, you see a real difference in how they respect one another. They carry themselves differently.”
Students say the lessons stay with them.
“What I have enjoyed most while participating in the dancing classroom is getting to learn the importance of respect and courtesy,” Leo Alexander, an eighth grader at the school, said.
Castro said the transformation begins quickly. Fifth graders often hesitate to touch their partners during the first class, but by the final week, she said, “they have no problem dancing with someone else.”
She said the growth is especially visible in students who may struggle in social situations.
“Students who are very shy come out of their shell, and all the students learn how to interact appropriately,” Castro said. “It’s a beautiful thing to witness.”
Eighth grader Andrea Ramirez said the social side of the program has been her favorite part.
“I wasn’t really social and didn’t want to do dancing,” Ramirez said, “but after doing it for the past few years, I’ve learned to become more social.”
Castro said the program also reflects the school’s Catholic identity.
“The students come to understand that we all have value,” Castro said. “At Mount St. Michael, we bring goodness, truth, and beauty into everything. God made each person unique and special.”
The cultural lessons deepen students’ understanding of the dances, according to Castro.
“I love that they incorporate the cultural aspect of each dance,” the principal said. “When students learn the merengue, they talk about the Dominican Republic and how the dance began. The rumba comes from Cuba, and the tango from Argentina. They use different terminology as they teach each dance, which is great.”
For Carlos Flores, learning the cultural origins of each dance stands out.
“Learning new dances from different countries can show how different our country is from theirs,” he said.
Midway through the multi-week program, the students have a chance to reflect upon what they have learned and express themselves creatively.
“They choose one of the dances to write about,” Castro explained. “They might write a paragraph, draw a picture, or create a poem about why that particular dance speaks to them.”
Following the final class, students take part in a culminating event where parents and family members are invited to watch them perform the dances they have learned. For fifth graders, the experience also includes the Colors of the Rainbow competition, where they compete against nine to 12 other schools.
Students say the program blends fun, discipline, and cultural appreciation.
“We’re able to have fun and learn at the same time,” Ramirez said. “We learn new virtues, and we get to learn new dances as well. I enjoy that.”
Eighth grader Rafael Robles said he appreciates how elegant the music and dances are.
“Like the tango … it’s a very serious dance, and the moves are very serious as well. The foxtrot is more jazz music, and that’s what we dance to,” Robles said. “It’s just fun to dance around with the beat, and it makes me appreciate all the cultures we have around this earth.”
Cutline for featured image: Mount St. Michael Catholic School students Charlie Mearns, right, and Evelyn Miller practice a dance as part of the Dance to Success program. As part of the program, Mount St. Michael students in the fifth through eighth grades learn how to merengue, foxtrot, rumba, tango, swing, and waltz. (Mount St. Michael Catholic School photo)
