Dancing their hearts out, advanced dance classes participated in the Advance Dance Show dress rehearsal in the theater from 4-7 p.m. on May 6. All advanced dance classes, including Dance II, III, IV and Dance II Hip-hop, were required to engage in the show for Media day as an ESA for their dance classes. Performances took place May 17-18 at 7-9 p.m. and Saturday at 2-4 p.m. and 7-9. p.m. The show was Disney-themed, and every routine was inspired by popular movie soundtracks and theme park rides.
“Previous dance interns in years past have requested a Disney-type theme, but the problem was that Mrs. [Mallory] Ansley didn’t know how to incorporate hip-hop into it,” Rhaymark Nazareno said. “So when she announced that it was going to be a Disney theme this year, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’ Her idea was inspired off of the Disneyland theme park itself, and I thought that was really interesting because we were able to look at it from a unique perspective and not just distant cartoons and shows.”
To achieve the Disney theme, choreographers from all dance classes chose costumes according to their routines. They had the options to either buy new costumes or choose from what they had in the shed.
“I kind of just had an idea in my mind,” Addison Yow said. “The song I chose was darker, so I went with black, and I just thought it fit.”
Behind the stage during the show, other dancers had the chance to inspect their dances for the last time to perfect their routines while waiting for their time to go on stage. Not only did they practice, but they also socialized with one another, finding ways to comfort themselves before their shows.
“My favorite part was going into the dressing rooms, hanging out with all my classmates and the interns, doing our makeup together and listening to music, singing along,” Grace Chu said. “We just all were waiting in between dances and putting on our costumes, talking about the show and making sure we all knew what we were doing.”
Along with the choreography and other elements used to lead up to the performances, the lighting on stage played an essential role in enhancing the show’s dramatic effect. In the booth during the entire performance, Josiah Rollind and Camille Burton worked together to control the lighting and the spotlight. Elevating the overall look of the effects, the lighting completed setting the mood of the show.
“It was probably one of my favorite shows I’ve ever done,” Ansley said. “I just liked how the lighting turned out, especially for my Bell and Peter Pan routines because we had a spotlight and a lot of cool effects on the main line. That really made it more theatrical and magical because the theme was Disney, so I’m really happy with how those turned out. It was really cool to see how all the routines were amplified and even better than I thought with those added elements.”
by SARAH CHOI
