There’s a new club at Coronado! The Dance Club, headed by Isa Lyda, 11, is one of the newest additions to the school’s extensive assortment of clubs. “What really inspired me to start the club was just my love for dancing” said Lyda. “My main motive was to bring joy and opportunity to those at school who want to dance and have fun, or to those who are looking to get more involved,” she added. The club focuses primarily on hip hop, but with a dance background as diverse as Lyda’s, it’s possible that other types of dance could be incorporated as well.

Lyda is an accomplished dancer who has taken master classes at the Millennium Dance Complex in Denver, a studio with locations across the country. Her love for dance began outside of the continental U.S. however. “I started dancing when I moved to Guam in 2010. My cousins have been dancing for longer than I have, and they got me to join then at the studio my grandma founded” said Lyda of where her passion for dance began. She has experience in hip hop, lyrical, jazz, and even some Latin. “I love the way you can express yourself when you dance” says Lyda. “For those that have trouble with words or for those who are shy, dancing is a perfect outlet to release those feelings, whether it be happiness, anger, grief, excitement [or] sadness.”

The best part about dance club? “Students can learn to dance, release school caused stress, meet new people, and have fun!” according to Lyda. Junior Kaitlyn Potger, one of dance club’s members, agrees. “Dance Club is a fun environment where everyone can express themselves and have a good time” says Potger, adding that she has “made lots of new friends who [she] enjoys being around” and “it’s something to look forward to every week.” The group is currently preparing to perform at the Cougar Coffee House at the end of November.They practice every Wednesday after school, and new members are always welcome!