Paige Skyrm, Reporter
@pskyrmcourant
The lights radiate down on center stage as the audience gleams with anticipation. As the delicate music starts, Ms. Cathy Smith and her dance partner enter stage left and perform the elaborate choreography that they’ve been practicing for months.
While many students characterize Ms. Smith as a passionate chemistry and marine biology teacher, they are often unaware of her unique hobby outside of school. When Ms. Smith isn’t teaching, she spends her time at Dance With Me Studios in Stamford as a competitive ballroom dancer.
Ms. Smith began her career in science before her job at NCHS as a medical technologist with the idea that she might go to medical school. “Science and math have always been my areas of interest,” Ms. Smith said, “I was a med tech for a while but it started to get boring because it was just production work.”
In hopes of finding a new career path, Ms. Smith decided she wanted to teach and work with teenagers. “Back when I was getting my MBA I would help other students with their statistics and I realized that I really enjoyed it,” she said. “In the meantime I was also a youth minister at my church and I found that I really liked working with teenagers.”
It’s no surprise that the energy and drive that Ms. Smith has for dancing mirrors the love and passion she has for teaching. In fact, her favorite part of the job is when a student finally understands a concept that she has been teaching. “Watching that aha moment go off in a student that has been struggling with a concept is my favorite part about being a teacher,” she said, “It’s a great moment to have and an even better moment to watch.”
In addition to her time as a dedicated teacher, Ms. Smith is always willing to try new hobbies outside of school. Though ballroom dancing is a relatively new hobby for Ms. Smith, it is something she has been exposed to her whole life. “It’s something that I have liked since I was a little girl,” she said. “I did tap and ballet when I was little, and then I did square dancing for a number of years in my early twenties.”
One of Ms. Smith’s inspirations to try ballroom dance was her father. “Ballroom is something that I watched with my dad,” she explained, “ There was a show called Lawrence Welk on TV where a couple would ballroom dance and I always loved it.”
Because Dance With Me Studios is owned by three of the professionals from Dancing With the Stars, Ms. Smith has been given many opportunities that a typical studio wouldn’t offer. In fact, while at the studio, she has been able to dance with Tony Dovolani, a professional ballroom dancer, instructor, and judge based in New York City. “I’ve been watching Dancing With the Stars since season two and he is just such an amazing dancer,” she said, “He is so smooth and I’m definitely not as good in comparison but you wouldn’t know it when you’re dancing with him.”
Because dancing has been such a big part of her life, Ms. Smith encourages all of her students to try it, and has even offered to give ballroom dancing lessons after school. “It is probably one of the best activities you can do,” she said. “It’s physical, so I’m getting in better shape. It is mental, because you have to know where your arms and legs are supposed to be at any given time. It’s social because you’re dancing with someone else, and it’s just downright fun.”
Through her love for teaching and dancing, Ms. Smith has made a large impact on the NCHS community. “I’m hoping that I inspire my students to be good people when they leave,” she said. “I would love for them to learn chemistry or marine science, but if they’re a better person for having been in my class, then I’ve done my job as a teacher.”
