One of the beautiful aspects of art is dance. Dance is so much more than just leaping or jumping around. Many people find dance to be comforting, using it as a way to cope, express how they feel, or even to show off their unique creativity. Dance allows us to connect and find peace within ourselves. 

On December 9, 2025, the West Brunswick dance class went to Odell Williamson Auditorium at Brunswick Community College for a dance rehearsal. After months of endless practice, the dancers really brought magic to the stage. The two hours they practiced every school day from Monday to Friday really paid off and now each one of those amazing dancers should be proud of how far they have come and how much they have progressed.

“Dance rehearsal was a very great experience. When we got there, we were already dressed in our costumes, and we got right into rehearsing.” Said Sophomore, Olivia Shuchart. “When I was on stage it was really good because it helped me understand what I was dancing on and how to fix any mistakes I was making during the dance.”

Dance dress rehearsals a day or so before the dance concert can be a big help because it can actually make the performance smoother. Dancing in a costume feels much different than dancing in practice clothes, dance dress rehearsal helps you see if there are any costume malfunctions, like if any part of the costume is too tight or loose, or if something gets in your way while you’re dancing. 

“Being on stage helped me understand what it’s really like to perform by feeling the pressure, the hype, the energy, and the focus and memory it takes.” Said junior, Sofia Lara.” Practicing on a real stage instead of the studio makes you get the feeling of how it will actually feel when you really are performing, and just overall makes you feel more comfortable for the actual performance itself.”

Once you’re on stage, you start to understand what it really feels like to be on stage performing, which helps you know what to expect on the day of the concert. On stage, you learn to get familiar with the lighting, the spacing, and you learn where you’re supposed to enter and exit the stage. Getting familiar with these can help boost your confidence and make you feel more prepared when you’re about to perform on stage in front of the audience.

“During the dress rehearsal, I felt really nervous. I felt like a lot of eyes were gonna be on me, and in my mind, I was just running the dance over and over again so I didn’t forget it.” Said sophomore, Ilia Kost. “ But after the rehearsal, the way I felt definitely did change. I felt more confident in myself since we corrected and fixed the dance to make it perfect, so I definitely felt way more prepared after rehearsal than I did before the rehearsal.”

Dance Dress Rehearsals are not just about practicing the dance step and cleaning up the dance, it helps the dancer mentally prepare for when they are stepping on the stage and ready to perform. Once the dancers are on stage under the bright lights and loud music, it helps the dancers get used to their surroundings so they don’t feel as overwhelmed once they step onto the stage. Being on the stage dancing during dress rehearsal also helps calm down the nerves, especially when dancing in front of teachers or classmates, which is like a small audience, and helps with practicing confidence and facial expressions. By the end of the dress rehearsal, the dancers are less nervous and feel calmer, confident, and prepared to shine under the stage lights.