Irvington’s Annual Spring Dance Production fails to disappoint
By Aaron Whitaker
To many, dancing is a hobby. However, to those who have danced since before they could walk, it is a lifestyle. The annual dance production held on May 17 and 18 did not fail to exemplify this. “The students have been working very hard for the past few months on these dance routines,” exclaims dance instructor Ms. Lau. Dances of the show ranged from traditional Indian dances, to modern hip hop. “Throughout the course of the year, we explore different styles of dance including, cultural, hip hop, and slow dancing. For our final unit of the year, I will be beginning to teach students how to tap dance,” proclaims Ms. Lau.
The show began with a class ensemble piece from Singing in the Rain. Videos were used throughout the show to portray a backstory of the dance and introduce where the dance originated from. For this dance, a scene from Singing in the Rain was shown before the dance began. The first dance definitely started the show on an optimistic note.
Next up, Jacqueline Garcia performed a solo dance which demonstrated beauty and strength. The show then took an unexpected lull, as the next few dances were rather short and lackluster. But the show took a 180 degree turn when one student performed a traditional Indian dance which ended up being an audience favorite. The next dance included interesting outfits consisting of tied plaid shirts. I was unsure what to expect, but the dance turned out to be fun, upbeat, and well-coordinated. The stage lights then dimmed for the next dance which involved glow sticks and another Indian tune. The dance was decent and unique.
The show continued with a tap number. I was excited to finally see a tap dance performed in the show, but regret to inform that I found it disappointing. The dancing was okay, but the song choice was odd and the taps occasionally went offbeat.
The rest of the show however, blew my mind. Dances from Pink Panther and to the beat of “Thrift Shop” suited my viewing pleasures well. Miss C had spot on coordination and timing in their dance, followed by a routine that placed 1st in a district competition. Love Alvarez followed up with her solo dance which placed 2nd at the Ohlone Theater Festival. Sangeetha Srinivasan then performed a stupendous dance, followed by cultural dances from Japan, Tahiti, and India.
The finale of the show included all 60 members of the class and it was a very nice way to conclude the show. Overall the show exceeded my expectations to a large extent. Ms. Lau is excited that “about 100 people signed up for the class next year and we may be able to have two periods of dance!” Congratulations to all the performers. Continue to Keep Calm and Dance On!
