In the first state high school unified dance competition, three area schools swept the event.

Copper Hills High School won the unified dance team competition, with Highland High and Murray High in second and third places, respectively. Several students from each of the school placed in solo and duet categories.

Unified dance is a program that brings together students of all abilities together to promote inclusion, friendship and teamwork with an emphasis on movement and joy. The Special Olympics Utah competition was held in December at Highland High and featured a variety of dance styles and creative interpretations.

Copper Hills team performs a dance routine at the first state high school unified dance competition, earning first place honors. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Students performed their routines on stage before receiving feedback from a panel of judges, including three who recently competed and won gold medals at the Special Olympics World Games. Much of the feedback was positive and encouraging with comments such as “keep smiling and showing you’re having fun,” “you owned that stage,” “great techniques” and “good energy and choreography.”

Many of the performances included costumes and props. Murray High dancers wore bright colors while Copper Hills performers sported matching shirts that said, “Inclusion is Cool.”  Props from watering can to leis, adding creativity and personality to the routines.

Some students choreographed and practiced dances independently or together as an after-school club. At Copper Hills, teacher Anna Bay has instructed adaptive dance for three years.

“We have so many good kids who love to dance, so we wanted to give them more of a dance experience than what they could get in our mainstream classes,” she said. “With so many interested, we were able to open up a class just for the special ed kids. We have 20 special ed students in the class, plus 20 peer tutors. Then, we have aides who help.”

Bay said the benefits of unified dance go beyond learning choreography and dance technique.

“They’re learning social skills, how to be part of a team and about friendship. They’re listening and following directions, but we do it in a dance way, so it’s all by having fun. I teach them a lot of the same things I do in my ballroom classes from stretching to line dances. We’ve been working on learning choreography, which we were able to perform today,” she said. “They have so much fun, and I love their genuine smiles.”

Murray High students perform a group dance at the first state high school unified dance competition. (Julie Slama/City Journals)