Perpich News

Perpich Dancers Participate in 2025 Minnesota High School Dance Festival

January 21, 2025

Dancers from Perpich Arts High School participated in the Minnesota High School Dance Festival on Friday, January 17, 2025. The festival was hosted by PiM Arts High School in Eden Prairie, MN and Borealis Dance Theatre. Dancers from Perpich, Anoka High School, FAIR School of the Arts, Highland Park Senior High, Minnesota State University – Mankato, and PiM Arts High School participated. During the day, students had opportunities to learn from guest artists in two workshop sessions. They also were able to perform for each other. Each school was allowed a total of 10 minutes to perform and could include up to 3 dance pieces.

Dancers in a workshop with Yukina Sato, Assistant Professor of Dance from Minnesota State University – Mankato

Mary Harding, Dance Instructor, was proud of the Perpich dancers. “They did so beautifully in the classes taught by college dance professors, and they performed, of course, to their utmost,” said Harding. “The other part of the day that was incredibly gratifying to me was to sit and watch dance be so alive in high schools around the state. So I felt as though I was really living in both of my parts of my job and to watch students in public schools have the opportunity to work with these amazing dance educators and share their work with other dance lovers was incredible.” Mary Harding is also the Dance Education Specialist for Perpich’s Professional Development and Resource Programs.

The Perpich dancers attended two sessions with guest artists: Contemporary with Yukina Sato, Assistant Professor of Dance from Minnesota State University – Mankato and Musical Theatre with Daphne McCoy, Lecturer in Dance from Carleton College.

Senior Anastasia Kol-Balfour (Dance 2025) attended the festival with her Perpich classmates. “We usually want to stay in our comfort zone. The first class we took was a contemporary class and the second class we took was a musical theater class. It was so out of the ordinary for us and so out of the box!” said Kol-Balfour. “We were really scared at first, but in the end, we ended up having fun and it was a new look to a different kind of dance that we don’t do every day.”

The Minnesota High School Dance Festival’s mission is to connect performing arts public high school students who are studying the art of dance. Young artists share in each other’s work and grow together as artists, dancers, and as a community through workshops and performances.

MHSDF’s vision is to foster a space to honor the work of public high school students while giving presence and value to diversity in dance practices and performance.

This annual conference will bring students from all over Minnesota for a day of masterclasses and performing.  Student performances are showcased in a supportive environment of dancers and educators. MHSDF fosters a safe space where students, teachers, and professionals become resources for one another by sharing knowledge, experience, and artistic practice for holistic growth of young artists.