With any walk through the dance studio at NAHS, a visitor can sense the passion that the dancers there have for their beautiful art. The way they glide and leap when expressing dance is both elegant and athletic.

Tamara Irving is the director and choreographer of the NAHS dance program. Her dancers move with elegance and sharpness, and as they do so they show a love and an appreciation for the art form. “For me, dance is life. So I want my students to understand the discipline associated with the craft carries over into all aspects of life,” said Irving.

Irving has been passionate about dancing since her toddler days. She attended college at Howard University and graduated from the Washington, D.C.-based school with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She is a North Atlanta alumnae and is now in her fifth year teaching at the school. Irving also holds the prestigious title of North Atlanta Teacher of the Year for the 2014-15 school year. She teaches ballet classes on four levels, along with dance composition and IB dance.

Beyond teaching at NAHS, Irving has an extracurricular activity for students called the NAHS Dance Company. She said she wants her students to connect dance with their life experiences and to view dance as a way to express emotions ranging from love, joy, sorrow and death.

In dance composition, students take stories, articles, songs and movies and convert them into self-generated rhythmic meaning. “I’ve really found that dance is an incredible vehicle for personal expression,” said sophomore Morgan Staten.

“Dance made me become comfortable with who I am and how life impacts me and the world,” said sophomore Kamryn Johnson.

“There are words that you can’t explain but they can be explained through dance movements,” said junior Daija Francis.

When you hear the music from the NAHS dance studio ringing through the hallways, students can know that beautiful art is being composed in their midst.