Gerry Saul smiled and clapped his hands enthusiastically as he watched a group of third-graders perform a merengue dance last Wednesday inside the Soda Creek Elementary School gym.

He was one of six seniors from the Casey’s Pond senior living community that were invited to come into the school to watch a group of 60 third-grade students to perform the merengue, salsa, Wushu dance, Bhangra and West Coast swing as part of the World Dance in Schools program put on by Steamboat Dance Theatre.

“Today we have some residents from Casey’s Pond here that the third-graders are going to perform the dances for,” said Traci Hiatt, who helps teach young dancers at Soda Creek as part of World Dance in School. “The kids are excited to come and perform, and they’ve been working hard, and it’s kind of a win-win, and it’s super fun.”

Hiatt teamed up with Soda Creek teacher Erin Early to teach the group of third-graders the dances as part of their physical education classes because it includes elements like muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness.

The programs, which are part of a joint effort by school districts and Steamboat Dance Theatre, are taught in third- and fifth-grade at Soda Creek, Strawberry Park, Sleeping Giant and the Steamboat Montessori Charter School in Steamboat Springs. There are also programs in West Routt, North Routt and South Routt, and executive director Lori Biagi is hoping to expand to the Steamboat Christian Academy next year.

On this day the students were divided into small groups to showcase dances from around the world. All the groups came together at the end and invited the seniors to join them for the Wushu dance based in the martial arts. The program also works with fifth-grade students who are introduced to partner dancing through the tango, Bachata, waltz, salsa and swing.

Biagi said the programs began in 2022 with just over 100 students and has grown to nearly 500. The programs are supported by grants through the Education Fund Board, the city of Steamboat and the Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation that pay instructors to implement the program.

“I am hoping to get additional programming into the schools, and we are looking at some social dance prep-type classes in the middle schools, and just to support the community in that way,” Biagi said. “I’m available as a resource if anyone is interested in that kind of collaboration.”

Physical education teacher Erin Early said this program teaches students to overcome nerves, embrace mistakes and ultimately grow as individuals. She said her students learned it’s OK to feel anxious or to stumble along the way — what truly matters is giving their best effort, sharing a smile and growing from the experience. She said it was truly inspiring to witness third graders as they practiced, performed, researched, and shared their newfound cultural knowledge with Casey’s Pond residents. For her the special interaction was a reminder of the power of connection and the importance of community.

“This event served as a powerful reminder that performing isn’t just about perfect execution — it’s about trying our hardest, supporting one another and being the best versions of ourselves,” Early said. “I am so proud of our third graders for stepping up with such grace, and grateful to our community for being such a meaningful part of their journey. Together, we are creating lasting memories and reinforcing the important values of effort, resilience and kindness.”