As chatter erupts the room, Francis Lewis Dance students stretch and talk, getting ready to dance when suddenly, the principal, Dr. Marmor walks in and shares  that next year the Dance Academy will not be in place anymore and this is the last year the Dance Academy is active. Students are shocked and news spreads within friend groups. Within a short period of time, the widely upsetting news is known to all the students of the Dance Academy.

“I found out through a lot of my friends who’re taking dance this year, and they were all talking about it, so I just gradually found out,” explained Jessie Jiang, a senior dance student at Francis Lewis High School.

Due to certain circumstances, Dr. Marmor has announced to dance students that this will be the last school year of the Dance Academy, and that it will not continue next school year. Dance students have had various reactions to this, some being remorseful but others being relieved. Regardless, the end of the Dance Academy is the end of an era at Francis Lewis High School.

“The Dance Academy is a place where many of us can get together and share similar experiences and just enjoy our time together,” said Ada Chen, a junior dance student at Francis Lewis High School.

The Dance Academy gave students a place to spend time with others while enjoying the atmosphere of a dance studio, being able to express themselves with others. 

“I’d say in general I had a fun time with all my friends and dance,” Ruting Chen, a junior dance student at Francis Lewis High School said. 

The Dance Academy not only helped students express themselves, but it also helped a lot of students improve in different aspects of themselves. 

“The Dance Academy helped me build up my confidence,” Ada Chen explained. “Since the very beginning, freshman year, I was really shy and I didn’t interact with many people but going to dance and performing I got more confident and became more confident to speak out in front of others.”

Each student’s experience with the Dance Academy was different, so some may agree with Ada Chen but others not so much. 

“I think the first year when I was a sophomore it really got me into dancing and I can tell I learned a lot,” explained Jiang. “But gradually I started losing interest because of how the class progressed throughout the years.”

Along with some that began to lose interest in the Dance Academy, there were others that didn’t have major opinions regarding the Dance Academy ending. 

“I’d say it doesn’t have a big impact because the reason I joined dance was because I liked dancing,” explained Ruting Chen. “The only way it would affect me is that I wouldn’t get another year of the dance credit, but overall there isn’t a big effect on me.”

Some of these students who seemed indifferent to this decision were seniors. From their perspectives, this year would’ve been their last year of the Dance Academy either way. However, they were still able to recognize that this decision may have been upsetting to other students that aren’t under the same circumstances. 

“I wouldn’t say it really impacted me a lot,” explained Jiang. “Because even if it did, I’m graduating this year, so I feel like overall it impacted my friends a lot who actually liked dancing.”

The release of this decision has led to students contemplating their plans for next year as they will no longer be able to receive gym or art credit through dance. Many students are still considering joining an alternative class to replace dance. 

“Honestly, I heard that they might have yoga next year,” said Ada Chen. “So, I guess if it’s ending then I might go and do yoga or I might join a team.”

Even though the Dance Academy ending has gotten numerous reactions, it is still seen as a great program among students. 

“I would say that it’s good news to us in some ways,” explained Ruting Chen. “But I’m also kind of sad because…they chose to just cancel the program so it’s pretty sad.”

Overall, dance students at Francis Lewis High School did and still do feel very upset at the fact that the Dance Academy is ending.

“I feel sad that it’s ending since it held so many precious memories to me, during the three years that I’ve been in dance,” said Ada Chen.

For many dance students, dance was a class that helped them in many different ways, but now these students will not have the option of a dance class next school year.

“Dance is a hobby to me so it makes me feel sad that it’s ending, it was a period where I relaxed and got away from all the stress of other classes,” said Ada Chen.