“You know you love me, I know you care!”

Two young girls belt out the iconic lyrics of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” as they dance with boundless energy. Senior Claire Cheng smiles from the front of the mirrored dance room, watching the duo whirl across the floor without missing a single beat. What started as a game of freeze dance is soon forgotten, as Claire takes in the pure joy radiating from the little dancers. As the final chords of the pop song fade, Claire is reminded once again of why she fell in love with teaching dance. 

Claire first entered the instructing world in her frosh year, when she became an assistant teacher at her dance studio, West Valley Dance Company. Her interest in teaching later led her to seek out more opportunities to mentor aspiring dancers. After asking around the Harker dance community, Claire found the Special Melodies Choir at Friends of Children with Special Needs, where she instructs a group of neurodivergent students on fundamental dance moves. She credits her time there as some of the most formative experiences in her teaching career. 

“I learned the most from that because it really prepared me to work with younger children and be engaging when you teach, which is very different from how I was taught dance,” Claire said. “For example, at the start of class, I started doing a game of Simon Says to get everyone moving. It’s obviously not something I would do in my own dance class, but it works really well for young children and keeps them interested.” 

As she continued building up her instructing experience, Claire earned a promotion to become an official dance teacher at West Valley Dance Company, and she now instructs her own group of young dancers every weekend. Recognizing how working with young children truly comes down to keeping them engaged and excited to learn, Claire often turns to her favorite way to make class entertaining: friendly competition. Simple phrases like “Whoever has the highest jumps will become line leader” and silly games like Freeze Dance make a world of difference in ensuring her students enjoy the process of learning dance. As smiles appear across all the little girls’ faces, Claire feels an unmatched sense of fulfillment. 

“My favorite part about teaching dance is seeing my students genuinely enjoy it,” Claire said. “It’s the most obvious with little kids because their faces just light up when they either figure out how to do something or are having fun with the choreography. It’s really rewarding to see.”

Just as Claire fosters excitement within her dance classes, she spreads the same positivity to her fellow Kinetic Krew dancers. Close friend senior Arthur Wu, who has taken dance classes with Claire throughout high school, shares how some of his most memorable experiences from Harker dance have been the small moments spent choreographing and dancing alongside her. 

“There are so many different times where we worked together, and we created these really fun dance combos that were not only good choreography, but it was fun to do,” Arthur said. “It was fun to work with her and be creative. We made a dance to ‘Taste’ by Offset and Tyga. We also did a zombie dance to ‘I’m sexy and I know it,’ and there were so many more.”  

Claire’s interest in teaching dance extends beyond organized settings and into her school community, where she shares her skills with anyone eager to learn. From choreographing original routines for dance production to crafting energetic numbers for spirit events, she brings her love for dance wherever she goes. Through a blend of volunteer work and paid teaching positions, Claire turns each lesson into a step toward her larger goal of highlighting the beauty within dance. 

“I want my students to grow up like I did, loving dance and wanting to continue learning,” Claire said. “I love seeing my students’ little improvements — for my special needs students, seeing them finally be able to do a step is really rewarding. When I watch them perform at our recitals, they always have a big smile on their face. That’s what keeps me going.” 

Her different experiences in teaching young dancers and special needs students are all strung together by one common thread: human connection. Dance serves as a medium that allows Claire to build bonds with others through shared, creative ideas. Looking back on her growth as a teacher and a dancer, she realizes how those interactions have shaped the person she is today.   

“Teaching has made me a lot more grounded because I get to work with people from different backgrounds,” Claire said. “I’m better able to express my own ideas because a big part of teaching dance is conveying your artistic vision to others and having them do it.”

Close friend senior Khanhlinh Tran also noticed this natural leadership in Claire. Having known her since fourth grade, Khanhlinh appreciates the constant security Claire brings to those around her. 

“We’ve given her the crown of being the mom of the friend group,” Khanhlinh said. “She’s very responsible. When I’m with her, she allows me to goof off, be myself and stay safe. Her maturity shows through little things like that.”

After teaching Claire for two years, computer science teacher Swati Mittal also noticed this same sense of adulthood in Claire. Mittal especially commends Claire’s growth, both as a curious student in the classroom and as a standout performer. Now, as Claire rounds out her senior year, Mittal leaves her with one final message. 

“You’re already very mature, but make sure to stay strong,” Mittal said. “High school was a big change. College will again be a big change, and most likely you are going away from your family. You’ll love that, but you’ll miss your family as well. Stay strong, stay focused and keep in touch with your family. Keep in touch with me as well, and please come back to visit.”