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Dr. Phillips HS Dance Program Students: Welcome to Mondays with Maria! Woo!

Noor, Student Performer at Dr. Phillips HS: And here's our superintendent, Dr. Vazquez.

Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Hi everyone. Thank you for that wonderful introduction. This time of year is so special. The halls of our schools come alive with the season. Our district is known throughout the community for its breathtaking performances and talented students. From dazzling choir concerts to vibrant theatrical productions and spirited dance recitals. Every performance reflects the dedication, artistry, and heart of our young performers. Take a look.

Kathy Follensbee, Dance Director at Dr. Phillips HS:Hi, I am Kathy Follensbee. I'm the Dance Director at Dr. Phillips High School. I have been teaching in this county for 41 years. It's been really interesting to take the program from the very beginning to what we have right now, which is that we are very state and nationally recognized at Dr. Phillips. We're super fortunate. We have a beautiful VPA program, and we have several different strands. We have our dance in motion, company, theater, music, television, and graphic arts.

Noor, Student Performer at Dr. Phillips HS: The theater magnet works behind the scenes with the tech and the lights, and the music, while the film magnet takes videos for us.

Kathy Follensbee, Dance Director: The fun thing about what you get to see today is snippets of a collaboration from all of the arts.

Andre, Student Performer at Dr. Phillips HS: Every day we're dancing because it's part of our class. At the same time, we're also doing things that a professional company would be doing, like learning from different people from around the country and taking class every single day.

Noor, Student Performer: I joined the Dr. Phelps High School dance magnet. Obviously, because of its amazing reputation. Ms. Follensbee has been here for a long time, and she curates some of the best dancers.

Ellexis, Alumni Performer at Dr. Phillips HS: I am a Dr. Phillips High School alumni, so it's always special to return home. I had an absolute blast in this program. I made my best friends who will last a lifetime.

Andre, Student Performer: I would say you grow so much in such a short amount of time because you're being exposed to so many different things, and you're being pushed to improve on all these little details, even through dance. Even if you don't decide to become a dancer, you will have the skills you need to succeed in any career.

Kathy Follensbee, Dance Director: Students audition for any of the arts. It's actually open right now through student choice, so ocps.net student choice till December 19th this year to apply for any of the arts programs they want to enter. We're really, really fortunate that we get to serve all of the arts here. 

Noor, Student Performer: Winter Wonderland is a really diverse performance and show, and we take, we start working on it all the way in August. The first day of school is when we start our preparation for the show.

Kathy Follensbee, Dance Director: This year, for our Winter Wonderland, you'll see different pieces that we're doing. O Fortuna, that was choreographed by me. We have a student piece that is “I Inspire” by one of our seniors, Andre Rochet.

Andre, Student Performer: And then I inspire. I've been working on it for about a year, and the concept is that I wanted to make a piece about inspiring others to be the change you wish to see in others. So, the main character, who is Kylie McCarey, is sort of the spark that passes on to each of the dancers.

Kathy Follensbee, Dance Director: Then overall, many different little holiday pieces that just make it super fun to get into the spirit. And I think when you actually see what we do, you're, you, you kind of drop your jaw because it's very surprising. It's very professional. It's not what you think dance is.

Dr. Phillips HS Student: Everything about it was amazing. 

Dr. Phillips HS Student: I loved it. It had a lot of energy in every one of them.

Dr. Phillips HS Student: There were some cool movements in there that were amazing. Overall, it was a great performance and a good job by Dr. Phillips.

Dr. Vazquez: Wow, that was amazing. The productions that our schools put together are more than entertainment. They are a cherished tradition that brings families, friends, and neighbors together, reminding everyone of the magic that happens. When passion meets performance, make sure you check your local high school's next performance. You will be amazed at the talent we have in Orange County Public Schools. Thank you for watching. Be sure to like, follow, and subscribe. We will have more on our podcast. Just go to wherever you get your podcast and search for Mondays with Maria. Have a wonderful and safe holiday season with family and friends. I'll see you in 2026.

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic. Listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at Additionfi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit the slice.ocps.net. I'm your announcer. Emily Hannon, a student at Audubon Park School. Thanks for watching, and have a great holiday break.