Ms. Martino, the FMS dance teacher, formed the FMS Dance Company, which meets almost every Wednesday after school on the dance stage. At the beginning of the school year, students submit a permission slip to join the Dance Club. They learn new dances and put on performances throughout the school year.
The Dance Company takes place after school from 3:05 pm to 5:00 pm, unless you are taking a bus home at 4:00 pm. It is hosted by the dance teacher, Ms. Martino. It is mostly about dancing and having fun. It occurs at the dance stage near the cafeteria.
Dancing is a very fun sport and it entertains other people. For the Dance Company, you need at least 40-60 people in dance. The official Dance Company Concert will take place on Wednesday, May 20th from 6-7pm. Anyone can join dance, whether they think they’re bad at dancing or not.
When asked how she feels about the FMS Dance Company, Ms. Martino states, “I love having my own dance club! I’m happy that I am able to give students the opportunity to take and learn dance, especially for those who are not able to take dance outside of school. I like that we are able to perform for parents and teachers, and it has also given us the opportunity to perform outside of our school.
Every Wednesday, Ms. Martino makes sure everyone is present and takes attendance. Dancers warm up with one of our dances that we do every year, which is the Hispanic Heritage dance. And yes, we always start with a warm-up.
Sometimes there will be new dances that she teaches us so we get to learn new dance moves. We do contemporary, hip hop, jazz, salsa, and sometimes kpop and pop too. When asked where her inspiration for dances comes from, Ms. Martino added, “Sometimes I take inspiration from popular dances like TikTok or from music videos, but usually I just use the music for inspiration. Sometimes, I take movement from things I have choreographed in the past and will use them for current dances.”
We always practice the Hispanic Heritage dance first, because it is a very important part of our dance. In October to November, we have a Hispanic Heritage concert and after that, we get to eat food that students and parents brought in.
The only times someone can be absent is if they’re sick or if their parents bring them somewhere. Any other reasons for absences are unexcused. If you’ve been absent three times and they are all unexcused, you will get kicked out of the dance club.
Jyothika, a 7th grader at FMS who is in the dance club says, “Dance club is wonderful! It’s energetic, and it’s also a way to get your mind off things. I have thought about becoming a choreographer. I like the thought of being in a dance club after school because I can be with my friends and I get to learn something new every Wednesday.”
As someone who has been in the Dance Company since coming to Fords Middle School, it is a very fun club where you can learn new dances and also make new friends. Everyone in the dance club is really nice and you can also become a choreographer for the dance. I joined dance because I have been dancing since I was little and I always wanted to join a club where you could dance and hang out with your friends after school. In conclusion, dancing is a very fun sport and you should join the dance club today!
