Three nights of Hip Hop dances its way into Helix Charter High School

Helix Charter High School presents an annual regional event, “Hip Hop Night,” for three days on Feb. 21, 22, and 23. Helix features other schools along with its dance team, including El Captain High School, Granite Hills High School, La Mesa Arts Academy, and more. Katie Pipes, director of Helix Dance, started the local version of Hip Hop Night about a decade ago. “I wanted to put together a showcase/concert of all Hip-hop dance, but I knew I didn’t have enough content from only Helix,” Pipes commented. “I started inviting schools from around the San Diego area.” It was a small event with a few schools at the beginning, but now evolved into a big local celebration. How the event contributes to the community The event holds crucial significance within the Helix community. As Hip-hop has a profound impact on dance history through its evolution, the genre serves as an entry point to dance for many students, and the event acts as an access point for them to explore their interests in Hip-hop. Pipes also emphasizes that dancing helps students with their learning abilities. “When students feel connected to school, they are more likely to find success in the school...