Amidst the various sports seasons that take place at Parker, students participate in sports outside of school –– and while some students spend their time on courts or fields, others spend their time in the studio, practicing and preparing their sport –– dance. While learning and practicing various styles of dance, from ballet to contemporary to hip hop, sophomores Camille Freedman and Maya Belcove spend 20-35 hours each week to prepare for competitions and performances while participating in an activity they both dedicate themselves to.

Freedman currently dances for Extensions Dance Company as a member of their Senior Company, the oldest and most advanced group of the studio.

“I think I took my first dance class when I was five, but I really focused a lot on gymnastics until I was about 11,” Freedman said. “But I broke my wrist, so I couldn’t do gymnastics anymore, so then I started dancing a lot more and I got really into it and found that I liked it a lot better.”

Belcove began dancing at three years old and currently dances for the Joffrey Academy of Dance –– the official dance school of the Joffrey ballet. “I think my parents just signed me up, and it turned out that I just really liked it,” Belcove said.

Belcove is in Joffrey’s Pre-Professional program, level six, which is the highest of that particular program. Belcove practices Mondays through Saturdays and occasionally on Sundays, at a minimum of 20 hours per week. She practices many different styles of dance, some including ballet, modern, and contemporary. The time Belcove spends at dance is a combination of classes and rehearsals, leading up to various performances that take place throughout the year.

Freedman dances six to seven days and around 30-35 hours per week, much of which takes place during long weekend sessions. She currently practices contemporary and ballet mostly, but additionally hip-hop, jazz, and tap.

“Contemporary is probably my favorite, and tap I really like too because it’s really challenging and I’m not very good at it, but it’s fun for me,” Freedman said. “Ballet is really important for your foundation.” Freedman competes in four competitions a year, and performs in one to two performances a month, and also three shows at the end of the year.

Both Freedman and Belcove have many hours of rehearsals per week, which can leave minimal time for school work. “It’s definitely really difficult to find the balance of homework and dance,” Freedman said. “I’ve made a lot of sacrifices in terms of my social life, and that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make because I love dance so much…I have to be super productive during the day and focused.”

With any challenges that may occur with balancing schoolwork and dance, teachers at the studios assist the students. “Although I don’t teach high schoolers, all the other faculty is very helpful and kind with assisting in time management and working to not overwhelm the kids,” teacher, company member, and administrative assistant at Extensions Dance Company Catherine Stegemann said.

“It’s difficult, it’s a lot of late nights, but I make it work,” Belcove said. “When I get to dance before I start classes I’ll do some homework if I have enough time. But they are very supportive of us. The Joffrey is very supportive of you not just as a dancer, but as a person.”

Apart from any problems of balancing dance and schoolwork, there are still challenges in the studio. “It can be really easy to get stuck in one place in your dancing and stop progressing, and it’s really challenging to get over that,” Freedman said. “It’s kind of more of a mental blockade then it is a physical blockade. For me, my biggest challenge in dance is getting over perfectionism.”

Belcove agrees. “I’m not the most flexible, I’m definitely not a prodigy,” Belcove said. “But I have other skills that have suited me well, like my musicality, my memory.”

As Belcove hopes to eventually dance professionally, her dance career may occupy her time after high school. “What I’m hoping is that I will get a trainee spot somewhere, but the dance world is very competitive, so it’s really hard.” Belcove said. “I probably won’t go to college right after high school, but I will definitely go eventually.”

Like Belcove, Freedman also hopes to further her dance career while in college. “My dream is to double major in college and then dance on a company for a few years and then go into something else when I’m older,” Freedman said.

“I really like to dance because it’s something that I can keep growing in and it really challenges me,” Freedman said. “I have fun seeing that I can make a lot of progress with something and I love to just move. It brings me joy, so I keep doing it.”

“One of the main motives of Extensions is to have the dancers walk away with not only dance training but valuable life lessons that can help in their everyday lives, whether they end up dancing or not,” Stegemann said.

“I love being the visual counterpart of the music,” Belcove said. “I think that’s a beautiful thing, allowing the dance to come from the music.”