By Nyla ’24
Finding people that love and are interested in the same things as you make the Harvard-Westlake experience infinitely better. Luckily, this seemingly daunting task is easy thanks to the extensive amount of extracurricular activities and electives offered at Harvard-Westlake. As someone who loves to sing, dance, and act, I was so excited to take choir as an elective in seventh grade. I was also enthused when getting a role in the Middle School musical. While I knew these experiences would be memorable, I didn’t realize how formative taking part in these activities would be to my Harvard-Westlake experience. Participating in electives and extracurriculars I loved allowed me to find my safe space at Harvard-Westlake and find people with similar interests and goals.
The amount of performing arts classes offered at Harvard-Westlake also allows for everyone to explore their interests and curiosities. There truly is a class for everyone at any level, beginner to advanced! Each performing arts class taught at Harvard-Westlake has a range of levels and classes, making it so people who are simply interested in something, even with no prior experience, can participate. In addition to taking choir and participating in the musical, I also took a contemporary dance class in eighth grade. Having barely any experience taking dance classes, I was so nervous before my audition. However, Mr. Schenck, one of the dance teachers, quickly helped to relieve my stress by reminding me that even if I was not accepted in one of the higher-level classes, I would still be able to take the Introductory class(which requires no audition). Knowing that there is such a wide range of classes for everyone’s experience level and that I would not need any experience or knowledge before taking the course made me so much more comfortable. Dance class also quickly became one of the highlights of my day and it allowed me to continue to meet new people and make more amazing friends! Whether you want to try a performing art that you have never done before, or expand your knowledge about one you already love, Harvard-Westlake has the class for you!
