PUSD Presents 20th All-District Dance Festival

For two decades, schools have come together to perform in the All-District Dance Festival. The 20th anniversary show will take place at the on Thursday.

“What I look forward to every year is to see all the different high schools and middle schools dancing in one venue together,” said Festival Director Diane Weigel.

The Dance Festival began as a mentor project in 1991, Weigel said, with the goal to promote dance education.

“I thought it would be great to have all the schools get together and show their talent and what talented students we have to the community,” said Weigel, who is a physical education and dance instructor at .

This year, students from five high schools and five middle schools will participate in the PUSD All-District Dance Festival. This year’s festival will include talent from , Del Norte High School, , Mesa Verde Middle School, Mount Carmel High School, Oak Valley Middle School, , , and Westview High School.

Weigel said the festival has grown with additional schools taking part each year. She added that some of the district’s middle schools developed dance programs in order to participate in the annual festival.

“The skill level just keeps growing and growing and growing,” she said. “The choreography is just amazing.”

Festival attendees can expect to see a variety of dance styles, including contemporary, lyrical, jazz and tap, Weigel said. High school dance ensembles will share their competition pieces.

“I think anytime that the community can see what’s going on in the schools and what the students are learning, I just think that’s such a good thing,” Weigel said. “I think it’s important because it’s the only opportunity that all the schools have to get together and put on one show together.”’

General admission is $10 for the festival, which begins at 7 p.m.

“It’s an amazing show,” Weigel said. “It’s very, very impressive when you see the talent of these students. I think (attendees) will be totally amazed.”

The Poway Center for the Performing Arts is located at 15498 Espola Rd.

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