Blake’s New Dance Program

There’s something new at Blake this year — and it’s not just Chris Torino, the newly announced incoming Head of School. For the first time, Blake Middle School is offering a NEW dance program, led by the kind and energetic Ms. Derricott, who has held various positions over the past 3 years on the Hopkins campus.

For Ms. Derricott, dance isn’t just about memorizing steps. “I’ve always seen a direct correlation in how dance supports academics, social-emotional well-being, inclusion, and physical wellness,” she explained. Translation: dancing can make you smarter, happier, healthier, and more connected. Not bad for one class period!

She hopes the program will be a place where students can try new things, build confidence, and express themselves—whether or not they’ve ever taken a dance class before.

Finding Joy in Dance

“I want all dance students to experience the joy of moving their bodies, the discipline of practice, and the power of sharing stories through performance,” Ms. Derricott said. In other words, it’s not just about perfecting technique—it’s about finding joy in the process.

Learning from the Best

Before the first class even started, Ms. Derricott was hard at work getting ready. She trained with other dance educators around the Twin Cities, attended workshops at the Perpich Center and the University of Minnesota, and even took classes at Zenon Dance School to brush up on her own skills. You may have seen her lugging around giant dance textbooks in the halls.

Her Dance Story

Ms. Derricott has been dancing since she was three years old. Since then, she’s performed in theater productions, studied choreography in college, worked at Hubbard Street Dance Company in Chicago, and choreographed plenty of middle school musicals. Now, she’s bringing all of that experience, and her love of dance, to Blake Middle School.

Dance is for Everybody!

The best part? This class is for everyone. “Dance is for EVERYBODY!” Ms. Derricott said. So whether you’ve been in dance studios your whole life or you just love dancing in your living room, there’s a spot for you. With the launch of this new program, Blake students have the chance to discover dance not only as an art form, but also as a way to have fun and try something new. In full disclosure, Ms. Derriott was my 6th grade advisor and I’m happy to be back in her classroom again.