Local fifth-graders cut rug for dance competition
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Darnell Bouie and Laela Lumsden, students at Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy, tango in a team dance competition at Pittsburgh Allderdice High School on Saturday. -
A team from Pittsburgh Miller PreK-5 competes in a team dance competition at Pittsburgh Allderdice High School on Saturday.
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After weeks of practicing the merengue, fox trot, rumba, tango and swing, 108 fifth-graders went toe-to-toe in a dance competition at Pittsburgh Allderdice High School Saturday.
Students from seven Pittsburgh Public elementary schools and two Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh schools trained for 10 weeks as part of Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh, an in-school prevention program of Mercy Behavioral Health, part of the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy.
In addition to teaching children the steps and the social graces of ballroom dance, the program also is aimed at helping students create healthy relationships, learn teamwork and promote respect for self and others. Four hundred fifth-graders from the nine schools participated in the program. There were in-school competitions to choose the teams to go to Saturday's Colors of the Rainbow semi-final match.
The gold medalists from the Allderdice competition, who will go on to the final team match in May, were: Team Yellow from Pittsburgh Lincoln K-5 in East Liberty, Team Green from Pittsburgh Miller PreK-5 in the Hill District, Team Red from Pittsburgh West Liberty K-5 in Brookline, and Team Magenta from Sister Thea Bowman PreK-8 Catholic Academy in Wilkinsburg.
First Published January 8, 2012 12:00 am
