On Thursday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m. the school’s dance company performed their show “R.E.A.L.” The tone of the dance show was radiant and effervescent, artistic performance.
Here’s some insight from dance teacher Ms. Diane Hula on the show.
Q: What was the overall theme or vision behind this year’s real dance company show?
A: Well, it was definitely based off the title, which is R.E.A.L. 100%, which means being authentic to who each dancer was and creating a piece that expressed each dancer’s not only their feeling but their favorite genre, techniques and the way that they like to put things together.
Q: How did you decide on the choreography? Do you create it alone or do the dancers collaborate?
A: The dance company showcase was basically a student choreographed concert where each student choreographed their own piece. I choreographed the opening and closing on my own but they choreographed their own individual pieces as well.
Q: What skills do the students gain from being part of a real dance company beside dance techniques?
A: It’s a lot about organization, building self confidence, interacting with others and collaboration with other dancers. When you have to do your own work, it gives you a chance to be accountable for yourself and the audience, creating something that’s unique to you.
Q: Was there any particular peace tonight that felt special, or meaningful to you?
A: I would say being able to watch all my seniors perform and seeing how incredibly and strong they were at their individual piece that they did. All of the seniors have come such a long way and I really enjoyed seeing the quality and caliber of their work both as individuals and as a group.
Q: What message did you hope the audience would walk away with?
A: I just hope that they walk away knowing it’s very important right now to make art and to accept other people’s vision of art and to come together and experience art, in this case dance to make a shared space where people can come together and enjoy the art.
As the showcase concluded, the coach Ms. Hula expressed how much she enjoyed and admired the growth and techniques of each of her students. We hope with future performance ahead the dance company team will continue to build and grow on the momentum from this team.
