After school, instead of heading home or gearing up for a school sport, sophomore Avigayil Lerman heads to Elements, a hip hop studio in North Bethesda. Anticipating the chance to reconnect with friends and master new choreography, she sees dance as the perfect way to decompress after a long day.
Lerman first discovered her love for dance through second-long dance videos on TikTok at 12 years old. What started as a casual interest quickly grew into a serious commitment. Now, Lerman spends roughly six hours throughout the week dancing after school, on top of the school dance team practices during the winter.
“[Balancing school and dance] is a really hard thing to do,” Lerman said. “I’ve had to do it for a while now [so] I have gotten into a routine.”
Freshman Liat Netter shares a similar challenge. Since she was seven, she has trained in ballet, jazz, modern and contemporary dance. She dances at CityDance Conservatory in North Bethesda. She spends twelve hours dancing a week, and while it is difficult to balance it with school, for her, the experience is worth it.
To manage her work load, she maximizes every free moment in school, completing assignments between classes and during study halls to free up time for what she loves most–dance. For her, dance is more than movement; it’s an opportunity to embrace her passion.
“I feel so good after dancing,” Netter said. “When I get a step right it’s so rewarding and satisfying.”
During Thanksgiving of 2023, Netter performed three times as a supernumerary, a smaller, highly competitive role, in the cast of Kansas City Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” when they came on tour to the Kennedy Center. She spent months preparing with intense focus, balancing rehearsals with her usual dance classes which range from small groups of eight to larger classes of twenty people. The variety in class sizes allows Netter to receive both individualized attention and experience performing in ensemble settings.
Junior Audrey Yedwab, who has been dancing for 12 years, specializes in ballet and jazz. Over the years, which includes countless hours at Ovation Studios in Bethesda, she has formed lasting friendships and connections, strengthening her love for the arts. Thus far, Yedwab has danced in performances, and will start competitions in the upcoming year.
“Something special about dance is the community you build and how I am able to express myself,” Yedwab said.
Even though dance is a large time commitment for these three students, they all plan to continue dance as a hobby. For Lerman, the challenges are even part of the reward. Dance has taught her discipline, perseverance and patience, skills she believes extend beyond the studio.
“I learned to always keep on trying,” Lerman said. “Dance is hard at the beginning but it gets easier with practice and determination. Dance eventually turned into the thing I love most.”
