The Dance Team’s long-awaited annual dance show premiered on Wednesday in the Performing Arts Center. Families lined up by the door, cradling bouquets with their tickets in hand, eager to enter the show. As the doors opened, audience members spilled into their seats.
The show began as the lights shut off and the stage illuminated with purple light. In the center, the dancers stood head down, wearing their traditional maroon and gold dance uniforms. “Walk It Out” by Unk struck the room as the dancers bounced into their complex dance routine. The audience responded with roaring cheers and clapping from attendees.
After the introduction performance, the team’s head coach, Kate Lynn Roberts, introduced the dancers, praising their hard work and inviting yet another chorus of claps and cheers from the audience.
Following Roberts’ introduction, the show officially began with the junior varsity team energetically performing “It’s Not My Fault” by Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion. The varsity team then danced to “More” by Usher, a fitting choice that left the audience wanting exactly that.
The dance team had been preparing for the show for months, showcasing performances from football rallies and newly choreographed routines.
“We started our dance prep right when we got back from winter break, and it was a little bit chaotic because this year we had to cram it in and do the dance show way earlier,” sophomore officer Sara Martinez Fernandez said. “But I feel like we did really well anyways.”
Captains, seniors Micaela Rubinsky, Anika Desai, and junior Siya Singla, were the choreography masterminds behind the 23 separate performances featured at the show.
“When you run for captain, or when you run for officer, it’s something that you know that you’re gonna have to put as one of your top priorities,” Rubinsky said. “It doesn’t feel like a chore. It feels like something that I get to do. I have the opportunity to show my creativity and all my skills that I’ve been practicing my whole life to perform.”
To celebrate their last year with the team, the seniors performed an upbeat compilation of songs by Pitbull, closing with “Give Me Everything.”
“Being a senior is hard. There’s not really a feeling to describe being a senior and leaving behind everything. It’s just a bittersweet moment, like you’re so happy that you graduated, but you’re also leaving behind something that has shaped your high school experience,” Rubinsky said.
Each grade self-choreographed their own dance, with freshmen dancing to “Ya Ya” by Beyoncé, sophomores to “Push 2 Start” by Tyla, juniors to “Just Keep Watching” by Tate McRae, and seniors to “Mr. Worldwide” by Pitbull.
“I’m looking forward to not having to stress about remembering the football games for the show, and I’m excited for basketball season,” sophomore Kate Peterson said. “As a sophomore, you just know what’s going to happen with the dance show, and your stamina is better because you’ve had more practice, so the show is just a lot easier in general.”
The show also featured performances from dance company Studio650, run by Roberts. The studio performed to “Dracula” by Tame Impala, “T8,” a collection of songs by the pop artist Tate McRae, and a diverse range of other dances that held the audience spellbound.
The show also featured Studio650’s junior dancers. They had the audience in awe as they danced to “Funkytown” by Lipps, Inc., “Get Me Bodied” by Beyoncé, and other upbeat songs.
At the end of “Get Me Bodied,” partner dance volunteers were called to the stage for the long-awaited partner dance.
During the partner dance, audience members excitedly screamed their friends’ names as upper and lowerclassmen ran on and off the stage alternating through quick music changes. They showcased duo dances including chest bumps, flipping off each other’s backs, and even The Dougie.
“It was just kind of hanging out with the people around you and laughing about the mistakes you make,” sophomore and volunteer partner dancer Leila Hsieh said. “You know the partners aren’t real dancers so I think the fun in it is making mistakes.”
After the partner dance, JV danced to “These Words” by Natasha Bedingfield, clapping to the beat, with the audience following.
Varsity ended the night with a heartfelt slideshow celebrating the four graduating seniors, Anika Desai, Bailey Lanier, Micael Rubinsky, and Shayne Porter. Featuring pictures from ballet class to the girls posing for sunset pictures on Coach Parks Field, the slideshow brought tears to some of the dancers’ eyes as they reflected on their journey.
“The dance show is the best part, arguably, of being on the dance team. It’s something that you get to showcase to everyone else and it’s just a really proud moment,” Rubinsky said. “It’s a reflective moment for me to look back on all my experiences on the dance team, and it just makes everything worth it.”
The show concluded with Roberts giving presents to each captain and officer, thanking them for their dedication and love for the team. The audience erupted in a mix of whistles and applause.
