May 30, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT:
Look into a bird’s-eye view of the world through the art of dancing.

The art and beauty of dancing came together for one final performance over the weekend.

The Van Nuys Dance Department hosted the 2017 Spring Dance Showcase called “A Bird’s Eye View” from Thursday, May 24 to Saturday, May 26.

Ms. Diane Hula and Ms. Reesa Partida’s dancers performed a total of 21 vignettes: “Love is Love in LA,” “Let’s Go Surfin’,” “History is Now,” “Another Day of Sun!,” “Bailar,” “Nos Dejo,” “Rejoice in Love,” “Uncage Me,” “Love and Peace or Else,” “Gone Too Soon,” “See Us as We Are,” “Daughters,” “Diversity is Our Strength,” “Just Breathe,” “Still I Rise,” “It’s Quiet Uptown,” “Unsteady,” “Resist,” “What the Water Gave Me,” “Dear Mr. President” and “At the End of the Day.”

The show’s theme was cultural diversity.

“The theme of the whole show is about what you can see around the world as well as the different perspectives,” said Tiffany Wu, who danced in “What the Water Gave Me.”

At the beginning of the show, a female dancer portraying a bird swayed gracefully across the stage as she spoke about different cultures around the world, explaining the show’s name.

These distinctive themes or cultures included Black, Latin, Indian, American Hip Hop, Tap Dancing and many more.

After a set of cultural-themed performances concluded, a new bird would dance and introduce another type of theme.

“Their teaching styles and the way their classes work are very different,” said Wu. “Last year, we worked more on technique and on different concepts on choreography. This year, I feel like it was a lot more about conditioning.”

Dancers were guided by the popular songs by Katy Perry, Beyonce, and X Ambassadors. “Another Day of Sun!” featured from the “La La Land” soundtrack, was one of the highlights of the showcase. Choreographed by Ms. Hula, the dance consisted of a light-hearted theme with joy and happiness. It also featured tap dancing as well as a brief solo performance by Jacob Zelonky.

The showcase even touched on politics, performing “Dear Mr. President,” which criticized Donald Trump.

“The theme of the whole show is about what you can see around the world as well as the different perspectives of diversified cultures.”