After months of not having their space, Redwood Dance students returned to the dance room.
By Ayla Ozturk
On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, Redwood High School [RHS]’s dance room re-opened.
Due to the ongoing construction, the dance room, locker rooms, and gymnasium were closed.
Although the locker rooms and the gymnasium are still closed, RHS dance students were able to return to their classrooms.
Redwood Principal Dr. Amanda Richard says, “[The dance room opening] is really good, and I actually got a tour of the locker rooms and the gym last Friday. And the progress that has been made has been tremendous.”
Michele Lapp and Elisa Bardonnex instruct Redwood’s dance classes. Not having access to their classrooms came with many challenges.
Bardonnex says, “The challenges we were faced with were moving all our items every time we needed a space change. No mirrors were an issue, and also having room to properly teach our classes was challenging.”
“It feels great to be back in the dance room. It is nice to have a space with mirrors and room for the kids to see and to learn,” Bardonnex says.
Noah Martinez ’26 is in Mrs. Bardonnex’s Intro to Dance class. He says, “[In the dance room], we have more freedom, and it’s easier to do a lot of dances.”
Maricarmen Hernandez ’23 is in Ms. Lapp’s Advanced Dance class. She says, “We can see ourselves in the mirror now and like we can just perform full out.”
Hernandez says switching places every other week was “really annoying.” “We couldn’t see ourselves [in the mirrors], and then we had to share spaces, which I don’t mind sharing, but it was just annoying.”
The room underwent some changes to the walls and ceilings. “I feel like it looks the same as before, but I feel like it feels more roomy,” Hernandez says.
Martinez says, “It feels better in [the dance room]. I like it more than doing it in the theater, and the floor is easier to do spins and a lot more dances on.”
Ayla Ozturk
Ayla Ozturk, class of 2024, is a fourth-year journalism student passionate about leading the News section. She is dedicated to informing students and amplifying their voices through Government and Politics writing.
You can reach her at ayla.oz3769@vusd.us.
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