After thriving in the St. Thomas-St. John district for several years, Dancing Classrooms have been launched at the Juanita Gardine, Ricardo Richards and Claude O. Markoe Elementary Schools in the St. Croix district.
After beginning training in October of this year, St. Croix’s Dancing Classrooms students are now ready to show off their skills at separate culminating events planned at their respective schools. Scheduled events are planned at Juanita Gardine on Wednesday, December 16th, 2015 at 9:00 a.m., and on Thursday, December 17th, 9:00 a.m. at Claude O. Markoe Elementary and at 1:00 p.m. at the Ricardo Richards Elementary School. Kathryn L. Zaytoun, executive director of Dancing Classrooms Virgin Islands (DCVI), relocated to St. Croix from St. John to teach the ballroom dancing steps to students. “The culminating event is the highlight of the 10-week residency. It is a very special day -- a celebration and a time for all the children to shine,” Zaytoun said. “It is a ‘lecture-demonstration,’ giving the audience an inside look at how the children were learning. The students will showcase the Merengue, Rumba, Tango Swing and Waltz as well as present their curriculum connection projects to the audience.” Each Dancing Classroom demonstration is planned for 45 minutes. Also the students in the first Dancing Classrooms program on St. Croix will give a ballroom dance presentation for their families, teachers, principals, V.I. dignitaries and other community members on Friday, December 18th at 5:30 p.m. at Government House. “DCVI is honored to be able to celebrate the children with the St. Croix community at such an elegant venue as the Government House Ballroom in Christiansted,” Zaytoun said. “Dancing Classrooms Global Program Director, Rodney Lopez will be our special guest at the event, hailing from the NYC Headquarters.”