CCHS Hosts Statewide Dance Festival
Dancers take the stage in the Robert Frost Auditorium (photo credit: Iris Harmon).
On January 24, 2026, Culver City High School hosted this year’s California Dance Festival for the first time. The festival is an annual statewide event that offers high school dancers from across California the opportunity to take a variety of classes, share their work onstage, and experience different styles of dance and culture. Its main focus is on learning, creativity, and building community within California’s dance programs. Culver City High School was contacted by the California Dance Education Association (CDEA) directly to host, marking a milestone for CCHS, especially for the AVPA Dance Program. In addition to this being the school’s first year hosting, it was the first time this event had been at a high school, as it is normally held in different locations. AVPA Dance Director, Carol Zee, shared that 46 dances were submitted for consideration, and 22 got selected for the final performance lineup.
Preparing for an event of this scale required months of planning and a huge amount of student involvement. Zee mentioned that “this was a special opportunity for the Dance 3 students in [her] CTE Dance Pathway to have a work-based learning project,” as 16 CCHS students took charge and ran the event. In addition to all the work put into performing, these 16 dancers did a significant amount of work behind the scenes; from registration and visitor support to tech rehearsals and backstage management. Despite the 7am to 10pm workload, these students kept the event running seamlessly. The CDEA professionals, along with guest dancers, complimented the students on how smooth everything went all day.
Participating in the festival had a deeper meaning for the AVPA Dance program, as it aligned directly with the program's mission of dance education and its emphasis on exposure to a wide range of styles and artistic perspectives through dance. With so many high school groups from all across California gathered in one place, Carol Zee explained that seeing “dancers their same age doing different styles and levels of work” inspired her students to continue developing their creativity through dance. CCHS dancer and sophomore Rae Low also noted that she loved getting to “see all the different groups work together to create something so beautiful,” and how the many different kinds of dances that were performed and the “variety of ages and levels” all added a special touch. In addition, hosting the festival also helped in building a wider community for dance among those who attended. Carol Zee mentioned how “our students got to share their excitement for dance with other like-minded individuals.” Rae Low also loved that “we were all so supportive of each other even though we didn’t know each other” and how it fostered a connectivity through dance.
A round of applause for all those who danced, choreographed, and helped make this magical event possible! Hopefully, in upcoming years CCHS will get the opportunity to host again. In the meantime, make sure to check out our dance program at their Spring Dance Concert, Color in Motion, which will be going through March 19, 20, and 21.