JASON EASTERLY / Daily News

Golden Terrace Intermediate School fifth-grader Melkewdy Antoine, 10, performs a dance move during a class workshop with the dance troop Hubbard Street 2 out of Chicago on Wednesday morning.

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The girls stand before the stage and to bends and jumping jacks as Beyonce plays from a stereo on the stage. They giggle and a group of dancers from the Chicago-based Hubbard Street 2 Dance Troupe leads them through warm-up and then through a series of dances.

"This is what makes dance fun," said Hubbard Street ensemble member Kira Blazek. "It gets your blood going."

For many of the 25 Golden Terrace Intermediate School students, it is the first time they have seen professional dancers.

"I was nervous to see them and dance in front of them. They are professionals," said 10-year-old Annka Flereus. "But I like dancing a lot. It is fun. It is fun to be with my friends."

The students aren’t taking dance as an extra-curricular activity, they are taking it as a regular class. Golden Terrace Intermediate School is piloting a program that allows fifth-grade students to choose a an arts major. The school offers six majors: golf and tennis; studio art; dance; publisher’s workshop; drama; and advanced music. Students have their "major" class three days a week and physical education the other two, unless they participate in dance or the golf and tennis program. Those students are allowed to choose a minor in art, music, drama or publisher’s workshop.

The students have their major from 8:25 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The minors or PE are done during the same time Tuesdays and Thursdays.

"We wanted to continue to find ways to make school an exciting place for students," said Principal David Glennon. "If we make it fun for our kids, it makes our school an attractive option."

The Collier County School District is not funding the program, Glennon said. The money for the programs comes from grants from the Education Foundation of Collier County and the United Arts Council.

"It’s great because many of our parents can’t afford private dance or music lessons," he said.

The school has even managed to get a couple of guests like the Hubbard Street 2 Dance Troupe and a reporter to speak to the students about their specific major.

"I hope they get inspired and motivated," dance teacher Georgina Percel said of her students. "They are seeing something different today."

Several members of the related arts team and Glennon went to the a performing arts school in Lee County for ideas.

Glennon said the related arts teachers were then asked to choose a class they would like to teach. Percel, a physical education teacher, said she chose dance because she was a dance minor in college.

"I want them to have a basic knowledge of dance," said Percel. "And I want them to appreciate all kinds of dances. We started with hip-hop, but we will be doing ballet, modern, salsa."

Glennon said the school district is not required to give students any related arts beyond physical education, but that does not mean the school shouldn’t give the students every opportunity to participate in the arts.

"Just because it is not (Florida Comprehensive Assessment test)-related doesn’t mean it’s not important," he said. "It is important for our students to be well-rounded."

Glennon said the school hopes to expand the programs’ choices in the future, but said the program would still only be offered to fifth-graders.

The students are enthusiastic about the programs.

"It’s cool. We get to learn different stuff than we do in our other classes," said 10-year-old Elianny Gonzalez. "I liked jumping around. It was fun."