On Feb. 9, more than 80 people flooded the dance studio at AHS for the annual Dance Day hosted by Orchesis Dance Company (ODC). Over the past few weeks, eight ODC members paired up to choreograph a dance to teach to a specific age group and, finally, the day had come to meet their dancers!

After an energetic warm-up, the eager young dancers split up into their respective rooms to learn. Kids up to the 2nd grade danced to the song “Perfection” from the movie Smallfoot, choreographed by seniors Tracy Hou and Anusha Silla. 3rd and 4th graders learned “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’” by juniors Rachel Eng and Cassandra Wang. 5th and 6th were taught by seniors Sophia Hayek and Rachel Silver a dance to “High Hopes,” and 7th and 8th graders danced to “Bring the Beat” which was choreographed by Dance Captain junior Talia Yip and junior Sydney Yu.

At the end of the day, each age group performed their dance on the PAC stage in front of friends and family. “I knew that the day would be tiring, but nonetheless I was excited,” explained Tracy. It was her first time choreographing for Dance Day, and she loved seeing how “spirited [the kids] were” while learning the routines. “It was such a wholesome experience,” she said, and in the end, seeing her dancers “having fun with the dance on stage” was rewarding.

To end the night, ODC made their way to the Arcadia Masonic Center to perform in the Chinese New Year Celebration hosted by the Chinese Booster Club. “The performance went super well,” exclaimed Treasurer senior Isabella Liu. She continued to explain that because they got to perform at a “fundraiser event that benefits many AHS student organizations” and were able showcase their talents, the dance company had a “very fun time with this opportunity.”

For both Dance Day and the Chinese New Year Celebration, ODC performed dances from their annual show and revealed the theme, “Game of Survival.” ODC President senior Elizabeth Chang hinted that the theme this year is “very special,” because the audience has “the opportunity to be a part of the show.” Thus, people who come to watch will be fully engaged and will collectively have the power to “choose the path that the story takes.” Show dates are Apr. 19, 20, 25, and 26 at 7:00 p.m. and Apr. 27 at 6:00 p.m.! Tickets for Game of Survival will be available in March from ODC members and online at ahsorchesis.com.

Photo courtesy of AUSD DCI Intern Leila Nunez