Dance Department

List of 2 members.

  • Photo of Elizabeth Swilley

    Elizabeth Swilley 

    Fine Arts Department Chair, Dance Teacher and Assistant Director of Activities
    (209) 524-9611
  • Photo of Morgan McKay

    Morgan McKay 

    Drama & Dance Teacher
Academics

Dance Department

Dance

Our goal is to give our students a well-rounded experience in performance dance. WE believe the tools they learn through dance class and stage performances will give them the confidence, creativity and the work ethic they need to lead successful lives in the future.

The CCHS Dance program is designed to enrich the day to day lives of our students. It brings a strong focus that builds a community of respectful, caring and generous individuals with common interests and goals. At Central Catholic WE are blessed to have the opportunity to train and direct our dancer in many aspects of their lives that will build character to live beyond the stage.

Advanced Dance Captain - Hailey Kolding

My name is Hailey Kolding.

I am a dynamic, determined, and personable person who loves to dance, cheer, and help others! I look forward to making close-knit connections with my team and the other captains, making this year a good experience, and being able to help them whenever they need a shoulder to cry on or a person to pull them up and push them to keep going. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, “Two are better off than one because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it's just too bad, because there is no one to help him".

I am excited to go to competitions with the team and hang out with them outside of the classroom to get to know them for who they are. I am looking forward to being the person they look to for a question in dance or other school and life questions. I love dance and I am so excited I get to share my last year with this awesome team.
The dance courses are all performance based which highlight and present student works, as well as the works of their teachers. Each performance discipline produces at least two major performances a year. The courses are leveled, encompass all grade levels, and are highly comprehensive. 

The offered courses fulfill the fine arts requirement for students with dance fulfilling the fine art requirement or the physical education requirement. More important than fulfilling requirements, WE believe that what we do with the disciplines of the arts sails far beyond teaching movement theory, how to play an instrument, how to draw or paint or even transforming students into dramatic characters. WE believe we are helping develop well balanced and creative young people by giving them a particular set of tools through experiencing and developing their own artistic selves.

Our department emphasizes and promotes self-confidence, self-responsibility, positive interaction with others, protocol, etiquette, self-awareness, group dynamics, teamwork, acceptance of the ideas of others, presentation of self, patience, respect and a host of other character building positives. WE are proud that our teacher, Mrs. Elizabeth Swilley, is an expert in her field and has also been a working professional in her discipline for many years.

WE enjoy being able to share our passions in a religious setting and feel blessed to have the opportunity to serve our students. Please check out our online calendar for upcoming performance dates throughout the year.

Advanced Dance Team - Jam & Jive

WE are quite proud to showcase our Advanced dancers who performed at Modesto Junior College's annual Jam & Jive show on multiple days! Our students learned choreography by our fantastic dance instructor, Mrs. Elizabeth Swilley for her dance "Britney", with music by Britney Spears. WE can't wait to see new choreography and new dances performed by this amazing group!

Beginning & Intermediate Dance

The dance classes are structured for all students in various stages of their dance education from very beginning to advanced. Students in beginning and intermediate classes focus mostly on developing and understanding movement, dance terminology, body placement and body awareness. They also learn dance history, theory and theater etiquette. Dancers are also exposed to a wide variety of dance styles while learning choreography and understanding how their bodies work through performance dance. WE do two performances a year at the Gallo Center for the Arts. One is in the winter and the other in the spring.

Advanced Dance

The advanced class has a heavy emphasis on student choreography and design as well as performance. Students enrolled in this class are chosen through an audition process. These dancers have great interest in continuing with their dance education in college. Advanced dancers are required to do several choreography and performance projects throughout the school year and are involved in performances that extend outside of CCHS. Advanced dance team travels and competes 2 times a year and has a chance to dance in Disneyland for Dance the Magic Parade!

Disney's Dance the Magic

Spotlight Dance Competition

About Central Catholic

Faithful to our Catholic Tradition, our mission is to witness to the Gospel while building an educational community that inspires the spiritual, academic and social development of young adults.


Central Catholic Students Are:

Academically-Prepared
Spiritually-Developed
Socially-Responsible
Globally-Conscious