Dance, Yoga & Mindfulness is Popular PE Course at Huntington

Now in its second year as a Huntington High School physical education course offering, Dance, Yoga and Mindfulness is one of the most popular classes with students.

Dance, Yoga and Mindfulness is a physical education course designed for students to achieve individual fitness goals. “It provides all students with the opportunity to acquire comprehensive knowledge of dance and yoga skills, the practice and benefits of mindfulness and fitness concepts,” states the curriculum guide. “Students develop and apply a broad understanding of choreography, dance, yoga and fitness elements and learn a variety of fun training techniques, which can be applied toward achieving personal fitness goals.”

The combination of fitness, dance and yoga offers students a total body workout, which promotes heart-healthy benefits along with the positive attributes associated with mindfulness.

“Students will learn movements in step-cardio, dance-cardio, body toning, Zumba fitness, cardio-Latin dance, hip-hop dance, Pilates and others dance genres,” concludes the course description.

All sections of the class are taught by Huntington High School physical education teacher Lauren Blackburn, who has been a district faculty member since September 2021. She worked as a health teacher at the high school and Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School in 2021/22 and has been a high school physical education teacher since September 2022.

Ms. Blackburn obtained an undergraduate degree at SUNY Cortland and a master’s degree at Adelphi University with certificates in both adapted physical education and health education. She coaches varsity Unified bowling, JV girls’ volleyball and lacrosse and middle school girls’ volleyball.

Ms. Blackburn is also co-advisor to the high school’s Grandfriends club. Prior to coming to Huntington, she was a teaching assistant and coach at Cold Spring Harbor. A graduate of Walt Whitman High School, she is a lifelong Huntington resident.