Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Dance Department had its annual Charity Dance Show on Dec. 8. Featuring AHS’ incredibly talented Orchesis Dance Company (ODC) along with Beginning and Intermediate Dance, the night proved to be full of thrilling performances. Over 1,000 tickets were sold, and the money raised from selling tickets went towards the Fisher Center, an Alzheimer’s research organization in New York.

Orchesis kicked the show off with an energetic start with a performance of “Attention” by Todrick Hall, successfully grabbing everyone’s attention and keeping them interested in what’s to come. With fast-moving kicks, leaps, and an impressive number of fouetté turns, it was the perfect way to start the evening.

“I thought Orchesis’ opening performance was really energetic and caught everyone’s attention. It’s definitely one of the things I remember most about the show,” stated freshman Rebecca Pinto, a member of Period 4 Beginning Dance. 

Other performances by Orchesis included “Human Way” by Declan J Donovan, “HOT” by Daddy Yankee & Pitbull, “Learning to Fly” by Sheppard, and “Would That I” by Hozier. The dancers brought the routines to life with movements that fit the vibe of each song and an amazing display of skill and experience. 

“My favorite dance to perform has to be the dance I choreographed with my partner, Megan Wu. It’s filled with so much emotion and means a lot to both Megan and me, and it’s been so fun to watch the cast bring it to life during rehearsals,” stated senior Danielle Workman, Vice President of Orchesis, when asked about what she’s most proud of.

Orchesis truly showcased what it means to be a dancer, and each of the routines they performed was to its full potential. The dancers and directors worked hard to make the routines as exciting as they were, and the effort they put into each detail was heavily appreciated. 

The Intermediate Dance classes (Periods 2 and 5) went above and beyond in their performances when their time came. Period 5’s song was “I Made It” by Tones & I, in which they showcased the journey of breaking through barriers and eventually succeeding. The message conveyed was evident in their motions and facial expressions, and the routine was fun to watch, with multiple roll-offs creating a ripple effect. Sophomore Kyana Enoch, shares her experience with the performance.

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“Performing my routine in the show was a freeing experience. As it was my first time ever taking center stage during a dance, I was nervous, but overall I was excited to put all the work that my class and I had done on display for the audience,” Enoch stated.

“The best part of the rehearsal process was creating the expressions to match the movements. A dance never truly comes to life until you connect yourself and your story to it,” she added.

Intermediate Period 2 took a different approach, dancing to “Hate to be Lame” by Lizzy McAlpine. The song itself is unique in the rhythm and the duality of the meaning, and the routine was choreographed to suit this perfectly. The dancers were full of emotion, and the performance was moving to spectators. This was personally my favorite performance, and I especially love how the dance gets more upbeat and energetic towards the middle to resemble the chaotic feelings of McAlpine. Period 2 painted the stage with a breathtaking three minutes, drawing in the audience.

“I feel like Period 2 had to work on performing with the audience rather than directly to the audience. Communicating the story of love and infatuation to the audience really made the dance loved by many,” said freshman Christopher Tsai, a member of Period 2 Intermediate Dance. 

The Beginning Dance classes (Periods 3, 4, and 6) also came forward with enjoyable routines. They maintained facial expressions and energy that magnified their performances. Period 3 had a fun, unique dance to “I Feel Like Dancing” by Jason Mraz, really bringing out their sense of humor. Period 4’s routine was to “This Will Be an Everlasting Love” by Natalie Cole, where they turned and snapped on stage with sunny smiles, sharp movements, and boundless energy with infectious happiness. Period 6 performed “Together Again” by Janet Jackson. With various formations and lifts, they showcased skill in their wonderful routine.

For many of the Beginning Dance members, it was the first time they had performed onstage in front of over a thousand people. It was a new experience that developed some of them as a person and helped them overcome their fears. Freshman Sofia Avendano from Beginning Dance Period 6 reflects on the events leading up to the show.

“The dance piece for the Charity Show really brought me and my classmates closer together and made us better dancers. I love that we worked on multiple different skills throughout the semester,” Avendano stated.

As a whole, the performance made a ton of memories for the dancers, and they will forever cherish the moments that led up to it. 

“One of my favorite memories was when we were doing show runs, and everyone would be clapping and cheering each other on,” said sophomore Alexis Ledesma, a first-year member of Orchesis. “It brings such a positive energy to the space.”

The Charity Dance show was an exciting evening full of diverse performances, all with their unique spin to it. It was widely enjoyed by the audience and was a memorable night for the dancers as well.

Photos courtesy of DCI