The thing that makes a class memorable is the teacher. Even if you aren’t fond of the subject, if the teacher is welcoming and engaging, the brief time you see them every day suddenly becomes a time you genuinely enjoy. A teacher can significantly impact their students and teach them things they will carry with them for the rest of their life. My mother is a teacher, or as she likes to call herself: a “path-changer.” High school is your life’s most vulnerable, unique, and scariest time. That’s why teachers have such crucial roles. I got the privilege to interview Ms. Aucremann, our SPHS band director. Many people go out of their way to express their gratitude towards her. 

We have a multitude of different electives here at St. Pete High. Our school’s curriculum offers classes like photography, 3D art, 2D art, chorus, band, several APs, and more. But there is a hidden gem most of our students don’t know about. The course is called Eurythmics (and no, it’s not the famous British pop duo). Eurythmics is a year-long course that explores dance, choreography, music, and production. Students learn how all these aspects factor into each other, working together to create something beautiful. Eurythmics takes place during first period and is taught by Ms. Aucremann. 

But what is Eurythmics? “The word itself means just music and movement,” says Ms. Aucremann. Eurythmics covers a broad performance area (it’s even used as a color guard class at other schools). Here at St. Pete High, Eurythmics is more of a diverse dance appreciation class. If you were to sit in on the class each day, you would find students observing and analyzing dance, traversing through different styles of choreography, and even doing Zumba and Yoga each Thursday and Friday. Eurythmics is available to all grades and doesn’t require special skills or previous dance experience. Therefore, it’s a course ”anybody can be in,” according to Ms. Aucremann.

What can you learn in Eurythmics? Students learn how to analyze dances worldwide by watching performances and executing some moves. Students also discover the “behind the scenes of creating a dance and the little details that go into making choreography,” said Alexus Phanphilathip, a freshman in the course. Analyzing these works and performing basic movements help on the midterm and final, which consists of basic dance vocabulary, how to communicate ideas a performance is expressing, and more. During the second semester, students dive into their own creative minds as the final is typically a project based on individual choreography. When asked what they will be able to learn about dance in this course, Ms. Aucremann explained how music and dance often directly connect, so students can easily find correlations between their favorite music to a style of dance. Students can take what they learn and trace its origins back quite far. It can be fascinating to “map it out” and learn about the roots of specific styles, said Ms. Aucremann. 

Students have not only their own input but also lots of creative freedom. Students are able to weigh in on styles of dance and how they interpret them and also explore their own interests within the choreography. Alexus Phanphilathip explains that not only did Eurythmics allow her to be free creatively, but it also sparked interest in her future and helped her perform in this year’s Goldfever event at school. Savannah Collier, a senior at St. Pete High, said that she has always been interested in and loved music, so Eurythmics “only pushed [her interests] even further.” Savannah Collier said that “Ms. Aucremann allows everyone to translate dance in their own ways, and it’s beautiful watching how everyone displays what they’ve learned.” 

It’s amazing what you can express when you feel like you are in a safe space. Ms. Aucremann does a fantastic job at making “her classroom a creative environment for everyone,” said Alexus Phanphilathip. Immersing yourself in music and dance is something that can be truly life-changing, and it can lead you to learn more about yourself and how you approach the world around you. Music is a lifelong relationship that is very valuable, and Eurythmics is just one way you can dive into that world. With Eurythmics being as broad and diverse as it is, it can prove to be a really great opportunity for everybody here at St. Pete High.