Vahe Nahapetyan’s senior project introduced him into the world of Latin ballroom dancing and even won him a first place prize at a dance competition. Not bad for someone who had never danced before.

Nahapetyan wrote his research paper on music therapy and dance, and he took Latin ballroom dancing classes at Matador Dance Studios in Glendale. “I wanted to try something that was out of the ordinary,” he said.

With the help of his mentor and his professional dance partner, Nahapetyan spent about 100 hours learning how to dance and practice his routines. “My mentor and partner worked with me and helped me clean up my routines,” he said. He then competed in California Dancesport, an Orange County competition, where he won the first place award.

Nahapetyan’s first place award was his final product when he presented his project to the senior project judges. “I told them about my journey from not knowing how to dance to being an experienced dancer,” he said.

Nahapetyan said that the most important lesson he learned from his senior project was how to commit himself to something. “It was annoying at first,” he said. “But it gave me an opportunity to learn something that I wouldn’t have learned.”