From dancing at the Joffrey Ballet Chicago to competing in Oak Park and River Forest High School’s drill and Orchesis teams, senior Leah Scholvin has proven her dedication to her sport. 

“In every dance environment that I’m in, I try to be a positive influence who reminds people why they want to be there…I try to be the type of person that reminds other dancers that they started dancing for a reason,” said Scholvin.

Scholvin, who has danced since she was three, has performed at various studios, such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Moonwater Dance Project and the Visceral Dance Center. Her passion for dance has led her to compete at an extremely high level. “I love watching Leah dance; the emotion she brings to each piece is very impressive,” said Senior Kerala Smith.

Smith has danced for 14 years and has watched Scholvin’s growth from a young age. “Over the years she has become a more confident dancer, and her movement quality has substantially improved,” she said.

Scholvin also performs on Orchesis alongside Smith, which is directed by world and company dance teacher Betina Dunson-Johnson, who students and dancers refer to as “Ms. D.J.”. Orchesis, OPRF’s dance company, is a space for intermediate and advanced dancers to choreograph contemporary, jazz, ballet and tap pieces showcased a few times a year.

Orechesis has given Scholvin an outlet to choreograph pieces she began crafting in her sophomore year. “Leah really started to dig into her artistry and has done a phenomenal job. Each piece just gets better and better,” said Dunson-Johnson.

In addition to choreographing for orchesis, Scholvin is in charge of running auditions and recruiting new members, as she is one of three seniors who has been a member for four years. “She is a wonderful leader, a beautiful choreographer and a lovely performer. She adds something beautiful to the company and I just love working with her. She’s so talented and more importantly, a wonderful human being,” said Dunson-Johnson.

Scholvin sources her inspiration from dancers like Dunson-Johnson and her drill coaches as well as “household names like Alvin Ailey, Doris Humprehy…and local Chicago choreographers…Hanna Brictson and Nick Pupillo,” said Scholvin.

Head drill coach and history teacher Carley Tarantino-Spoor sees this as “she plays a huge role in drill. Young dancers are just drawn to her as a role model. She leads by example, encourages her teammates…and has this passion for dance,” said Tarantino-Spoor.

“Leah just radiates when she’s performing; she really embodies the style she’s doing,” Tarantino-Spoor added.

On drill, Scholvin has recently been named captain so she makes logistical decisions for the team schedule, gets first priority over choreography and hypes the team up during games and practices. Drill is a unique sport at OPRF as “it’s so much more than just football halftimes,” said Scholvin. The drill team rigorously trains, conditions and competes all school year and during the summer against other IHSA dance teams. This year, Scholvin hopes to “qualify for state and break 80 points in our score.” 

Scholvin said she has occasionally had times in her dance career where she has “just forgotten…dance is supposed to be fun.” However, this is not stopping her from pursuing a degree in dance, as she is motivated by her many teammates on both teams.

Tarantino-Spoor supports this decision as she “hope(s) Leah follows her passion. There’s so many avenues and opportunities in dance, and I can tell she cares so much about the art of dance.”