The eagerly-anticipated M-A Dance Show took place on Thursday in the PAC. As a line formed across campus and crowds packed their way into the full theater, dancers were backstage getting ready to show off the culmination of a full season’s work.
Sophomore and varsity dancer Lainey Egnal said, “Preparing for the show was a lot of work but super fun! We had some really long practices, like three to four hours, but it was great team bonding time and the amazing team parents set up a potluck for us every day.”
Freshman JV dancer Olympe Delafosse added, “Prepping for the show was actually really fun! It wasn’t half as bad as I thought it would be.”
The show began with punchy and upbeat dance to “I’m Coming in Hot,” whose fast paced hip-hop moves set the bar high for the rest of the show. Varsity dancers delivered move after move, thoroughly impressing with the clearly well-rehearsed and choreographed number.
Following that was an introduction of the JV team, who performed to “Pure Water.” This was then followed by a sophomore dance, which featured hits such as “Circus” by Britney Spears and “Worth It” by Fifth Harmony. Each dancer choreographed their own piece, and the put the music together to create one synchronized dance that was a medley of each one’s personal style.
The dance show not only featured M-A’s dancers, but also dancers from a local studio, Captivating Dance By Nona (CDBN). These dances featured dancers both within the M-A team and outside of it. They displayed a range of work, between performances by younger kids as well as their competition team. Standouts included a unique and high energy Harry Potter dance, an emotional rendition of an adapted version of “Dancing Queen,” and the dramatic and bold “À Palé.” Dancers in hot-pink suits performed a sassy and empowering dance to “Schoolin’ Life,” a fun and fresh twist to a nostalgic song.
M-A freshmen then performed a self-choreographed dance to the song “Drive.” The small group allowed for the audience to clearly see each individual dancer’s skill and choreography.
After a brief intermission filled with excited chatter, the audience once more took their seats for the second half of an already impressive show. This half of the show was filled with recognizable songs such as “Flowers” and even a trio performance of the Californian anthem “California Girls.” M-A sophomores did a second dance to “Work It,” and CDBN performed an ethereal and melancholy dance to “Hold It Together.”
Next came the much-awaited partner dances, with guest appearances by partners picked by dance team members. Egnal said, “I think my favorite dance was probably the partner dance because it was a nice break from all the other high intensity dances and overall was just super super fun!” Together, dancers and their partners twirled, jumped, and struck poses for eight dances.
The end of the show was largely dedicated to the seniors and was filled with emotions, tears, and a love for the sport. A senior slideshow highlighted each senior dancer, giving them a chance to dance solo while the projector displayed their high school dance career to the audience. They followed it up with a senior dance to “Industry Baby” and other songs, forming some of the most energetic dances of the night.
Delafosse said, “The show was really fun, and I think it went really well. Overall it was a great experience!” Egnal agreed, and said, “All our hard work paid off!”
