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Choreographed by Dance Interns Grace Scott and Tatum Philips, Angeline Roux and eighth period Dance I peers perform a hip-hop routine to “Finesse” by Bruno Mars. Photo by Kaitlyn El-Sayegh

From a jazz routine to Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music,” to a lyrical routine to “Turning Tables” by Adele, Dance I classes have been practicing their diverse routines since November. On April 14 at 7 p.m. and April 15 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., beginner dance classes performed their choreographed routines in theater. Michaella Leonor and Haley Weltmer emceed their show and the production hosted rehearsals April 11-13 from 4-7 p.m.

     To newer performers like Akshaya Aalla, the show was a hub for forming closer relationships with peers.

     “The environment was extremely close knit; we all felt extremely close after each practice, and we were able to learn a lot more about each other,” Alla said. “Performing in front of the crowds was initially nerve-wracking, but hearing the applause and knowing our hard work paid off made everything worth it.”

     Although Alla said she felt invigorated by the performance, other dancers such as Wynette Calunsag shared that getting to a point of confidence was a hurdle.

     “I used to never want to dance in front of anybody, but because of the dance show and class, I’m now more open to performing dances that I liked learning. After performing in two other class periods, I was more confident in my skills to perform in front of a crowd of more than 200 people,” Calunsag said. 

     Third period dance intern Kara Brent notes the value in the show and class’ ability to foster self-assuredness within the dancers. 

     Brent said, “I got the chance to encourage them, build them up and see them grow and learn. I thought [that experience] was more rewarding than being in the Advanced Dance Show and [seeing myself] get better on my own. Their growth was heavily due to their confidence. Obviously, they grew in technique and ability, but it was amazing to see their confidence and ability to just perform and be comfortable on stage grow. And for a lot of people, that’s a really hard thing to do.”