For roughly the past 46 years, the Illinois High School Dance Festival has occurred at high schools across the state. Including schools from all over, the festival allows students to take master classes taught by professional dance teachers. 

“This festival promotes dancers coming together, sharing their passion, and trying something new,” Eurythmics and Varsity Poms coach Brittany Smith said. “The classes that the dancers are able to attend are from all different styles taught by professionals in the performing and teaching arts. A lot of the classes are ones most of our dancers don’t get in their studio training so it pushes them outside their comfort zones and broadens their dance training.”

For the first time in many years, the festival took place on Oct. 5 in the NC Vaughan Building. Professional teachers led classes such as Latin Fusion, Musical Theatre, a Heels class, and many others. 

“I hope that students take away some joy of dancing, or just reconnect with their love of movement,” dance teacher at The Joffrey Academy of Dance Sophie Allen said. “Dance is lots of choice making and also it can just be fun, it’s one of the rare things where you can exercise your body and your mind so the stakes are what you make them.”

The festival is put together by a committee of volunteers who help coordinate the entire day of events, Eurythmics and JV Poms coach Dana Fry said. The committee runs registration, finds dance teachers and performers, and coordinates the attendance of college representatives. 

For the past few years, LT’s homecoming has fallen on the weekend of the festival, so therefore student dancers were unable to attend, dancer Nora Foley ‘26 said. This year the day of the festival was perfectly aligned with LT’s schedule so that they could not only attend the festival but host it. 

The day started with an opening ceremony, performed by the LT dancers who were hosting the festival. After this, the sessions were held throughout the Vaughan Building. Session One consisted of four different classes: Ballet taught by Richard Grund, Release Technique led by Sophie Allen, Freestyle and Improvisation taught by Ibrahim Sabbi and Monternez Rezell, and a College Audition run by Megan Rhodes. From there, three other sessions occurred with new teachers and new styles of dance to learn. 

“The teachers are all very skilled and so by attending this it is a very good learning opportunity to allow us to become better dancers,” Foley said. “The teachers have a lot to teach us and a lot of the classes are helpful for dancers in specific areas, the day was a lot of fun.”

This year, high schools from Waukegan, Peoria, Elk Grove, and many more attended the convention with the purpose of wanting to become better dancers and learn from professional teachers. 

“This provides a unique experience for all of the dancers and everyone involved,” Fry said. “This is also a great way for dance programs and companies to jump-start their year. Dancers get to bond with friends from their school, meet new people from other schools, interact with teachers that they might never have the opportunity to do, meet colleges and universities that offer dance, see a professional performance, and dance. Many high schools don’t have the time and resources to provide unique experiences for their dancers, so this is a great way to provide that.”