Charleston County School of the Arts - SOA Dance

Big news from the South Carolina Dance Association: State Dance Assessment! ✨

Our SOA 8th and 12th grade dance majors traveled to Coker University for the first annual state dance assessment, and they are coming home with incredible results!

🏆 12th Grade: Superior with Distinction

🏆 8th Grade: Superior

Both groups were assessed using the Advanced Rubrics, making this achievement even more impressive.

We are beyond proud of these dancers and the hard work, discipline, and artistry they brought to the stage. Their dedication truly paid off! 💃🖤

Congratulations to our amazing dancers for representing our program with excellence!

Our SOA dancers return to school Monday with some incredible news! ✨🩰

Between this talented group, they received numerous acceptances to college and prestigious summer dance programs and have earned over $100,000 in scholarships.

Their dedication, discipline, and countless hours in the studio truly paid off. We are so proud of the work they put in and the way they continue to represent our program with excellence.

Congratulations dancers! Your future is bright and this is only the beginning. 👏🎉

Want to be an SOA dancer? Make sure you go to the Ccsd school choice website to fill out the application. 

Congratulations to this week's, "Unsung Educator of the Week", Leslie Jones, Dance Teacher at Charleston County School of the Arts Middle & High School

"Miss Jones is an Unsung Educator whose students really are the heart of her work. Miss Jones works tirelessly to find and facilitate extra opportunities for the middle school and high school dance majors at the School of the Arts on top of their already very fulfilling dance program.

She is thorough, thoughtful, and takes the initiative to go above and beyond for her students and fellow staff members. She reads every student newspaper, takes time to engage with members of our community, and always lends a helping hand.

Since I joined the School of the Arts just two short months ago, I have seen Leslie plan three field trips (including one to Europe!), hold extra rehearsals before the school day to give dancers an extra opportunity to perform in our school's production of Anastasia, and organize numerous guest artists to come and share their knowledge with our students.

At the heart of all she does is our students. They deserve the best, and Miss Jones does everything in her power to provide the most amazing experience for them!" --nominated by a colleague

SOA OPEN HOUSE - THIS THURSDAY! We hope you’ll be able to attend our Middle and High School Open House this Thursday, August 21at 5:30 pm; Parents will meet their student’s academic teachers, following their daily schedule, from 5:30 - 6:55 pm, and they will meet their arts teachers in the art major classrooms at 7:00 pm.) We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this terrific opportunity to follow your student’s schedule, connect with their instructors, and get an overview of their courses. Please note a few Open House particulars:

On Wednesday, your student will be sent home with a hard copy of their schedule for you to follow. You can also access this schedule on the PowerSchool app on your phone.

Staff will be directing parking, and because of limited parking space, some parents will be asked to park in the field adjacent to the Rose Maree Myers Theater.

Students are not required to attend the open house, but they are welcome to accompany you.

Behind every great classroom is a teacher who’s been planning, organizing, and getting ready, often with their own time and money, long before the first day of school. This year, we’re giving the community a chance to step in and help.

Many of our teachers have created Amazon wish lists filled with the supplies that help bring their classrooms to life—books, markers, storage bins, stickers, and more. If you’re able, take a moment to browse the lists and pick an item or two to send their way. It’s a small gesture that really means a lot to our teachers. Thank you!! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-LJQjMrHBUph1KuQw3_JKDh7Mg4P8rjIqwJuYwl5khc/edit?usp=sharing

Amanda Lane Evans is a classically trained dancer and artist from Lewisville, Texas. She began her training at The Ballet Conservatory and danced pre-professionally with Lakecities Ballet Theatre from 2009-2014. As a student, Amanda trained with nationally renowned teachers and had the honor of performing George Balanchine’s ‘Serenade’ and ‘Concerto Barocco’ as well as many of the great story ballets. She also studied ballet at summer intensives including American Ballet Theatre in New York City, Boston Ballet and The Joffrey Ballet during her time as a student. Amanda then attended The University of Oklahoma where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Classical Ballet Performance Magna Cum Laude. In college, she performed with Oklahoma Festival Ballet and Contemporary Dance Oklahoma and was awarded the Miguel Terekhov Choreography Award for excellence in ballet choreography. Amanda danced professionally with Palmetto City Ballet for seven seasons and is in her sixth season with Unbound Ballet Project as a company artist and choreographer. She now coaches classical ballet and other dance styles at a number of schools in the greater Charleston area and is excited to begin her next chapter at Charleston County School of the Arts.

Thank you and a fond farewell to School of the Arts Dance teacher Linda Cline 🎶🩰