Returning Concord Academy students, while browsing through the 2025-26 academic year’s program catalog, may notice changes to the school’s dance offerings. Although CA’s curriculum undergoes annual changes, the dance program, which has largely remained unchanged for the past few years, sees significant shifts. In particular, there are large shifts in the after-school dance program.
One of the most prominent changes is that the Concord Academy Dance Project (CADP) will take place independently in the Winter and Spring seasons, rather than fall and winter. Furthermore, there have been some slight changes to the time commitment for CADP. Instead of the previous three longer rehearsal blocks, there will be four shorter rehearsals from Tuesday to Friday from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Notably, CADP now requires auditions, and members are now required to take a minimum of one Dance Technique class weekly.
Meanwhile, Dance Technique continues to run for all three seasons, now meeting Tuesday to Friday from 3:30-4:45 p.m. The Choreographers’ Workshop has been moved to the Fall season in response to CADP’s switch from the Fall to Spring season. Moreover, for those who want to pursue dance during the day, Dance 2 is now offered both semesters!
As all changes do, these have their benefits and drawbacks. Freshmen dancers—and others who are taking their first Dance Technique class in the fall—now have the opportunity to audition for CADP in the Spring. However, prior fall CADP members who have previously participated in other Spring commitments may now face scheduling conflicts in the Spring. Fortunately, students who wish to dance in the fall have plenty of opportunities to participate in Dance Technique, Choreographers’ Workshop, or even the Fall Mainstage Musical. These are great opportunities to stretch oneself beyond what they have grown comfortable with in CADP.
A foreseeable benefit of these changes—particularly the Spring season CADP and the Dance Technique requirement—is the community it would build among dancers at CA of all grade levels and backgrounds.
These changes can be daunting, but they also provide many exciting new opportunities for dancers. Let’s anticipate what the Dance Program has in store for us this coming year!