‘Dancing With the Teachers’ returns to Rancho Bernardo High

Rancho Bernardo High’s teachers are polishing their footwork and dance moves for the return of “Dancing With the Teachers.”

The fourth edition of the teacher contest — last year it was a student version — pairs faculty and staff members with RB High’s award-winning Tour De Force dance team members who are teaching them choreography for an evening of entertainment and light-hearted competition.

The contestants will take to the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 in the RBHS Performing Arts Center, 13010 Paseo Lucido. Tickets are $7 or $5 with student ID. Proceeds will go toward purchasing dance team uniforms.

“It is so awesome for (my dancers) to work with their teachers, switching roles,” said RBHS Dance Director Michelle Jacoby. “It is a good role reversal.”

Jacoby said some of the varsity level dancers have been studying dance since age 2, so they are the “experts” while the teachers are placed in the student role, an experience she said provides them with a good reminder of how it feels to be learning — and perhaps struggling — to succeed in doing something new.

Dance styles will include musical theater, jazz, hip hop, jazz funk and breakdancing. Only a few competitors have some dance or performance experience or competed in previous versions since “Dancing With the Teachers” began in the 2012-13 school year, Jacoby said.

Among returnees is Mindy Bailey-Bradshaw, who won the first year, but saw Principal Dave LeMaster capture the second and third teacher titles.

Bailey-Bradshaw said there is “a little bit” of wanting to recapture the title motivating her, but she really entered “all for fun.” She will be performing a comedic hip hop routine to a music mix that includes the “SpongeBob” theme song.

“It is challenging and takes me out of my comfort zone,” Bailey-Bradshaw said. She was a gymnast and SDSU cheerleader, but did not study dance when younger.

First-time entrant Bryce Guzzetta said he has limited dance experience, gained while performing in musicals.

“I’m a big proponent of the arts, playing piano, sax and singing. ... It’s a great opportunity to do arts stuff with the students,” Guzzetta said. He will do a jazz dance to “Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag” from the musical “Chicago.”

“It’s been really great ... interesting to give students that kind of responsibility,” he said. “I listen to them, their instructions, they are very talented dancers. ... It’s been a really fun opportunity working with the students. ... The more you can learn from the student perspective, you can understand how to reach (your students) as a teacher.”

Kurt Trecker is a returning competitor who will dance to a three-song Michael Jackson mashup. “I’m a big Michael Jackson fan from the ‘80s,” he said. “There is good choreography ... planned for us. During our (first) two practices I’ve been blown away by how they can nail this stuff, making it look natural and easy, while I’m just a total goof.”

Trecker said the positive comments he gets during the dance lessons have made him realize that maybe he needs to praise his students’ efforts more when they accomplish a difficult task in the classroom.

Sophomore Jenna Waller said working with the teachers has been very different from when she taught three boys in her class for last year’s “Dancing With the Broncos.” The teachers approach the lessons more seriously and practice at home she said, adding it was “a little awkward” at first to teach a teacher, but it has become “a cool learning experience.”

Senior Chase Kornacki said she has “gained a new respect” for what her teachers go through to educate students. “I have learned how difficult it is to be a teacher,” she said, adding “It’s really interesting to be ... in their shoes.”

Faculty and staff members participating as of press time are Mindy Bailey-Bradshaw, Lori Brickley, Bryce Guzzetta, Peter Hawken, Shannon Hogan, Holly Lecakes-Jones, Erik Martin, Oscar Molano, Melva Musico, Emily Nathanson, Joe Eddie Terribilini, Kurt Trecker and Jacqueline Wight.

The Tour De Force varsity dance team members participating are Nina Amato, Brenda Chacon, Alyssa Christian, Hannah Garcia, Sidney Klock, Chase Kornacki, Kaitlyn Kostyzak, Bella Malamud, Courtney Maldonado, Cady Mariano, Aly Mass, Daisy Miller, Taylor Mitchell, Trileen Nguyen, Reyna Pine, Lauren Picaard, Alyssa Santos, Mandy Shihadeh, Ceanna Vroom, Jenna Waller, Vanessa Wang, Niki Wright, Robyn Yampolsky and Sena Yang.

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com