On May 18 the Dance team celebrated a successful opening night to their yearly Spring Dance Showcase. Each year the show consists of dances from all of the dance classes and companies as well as the dance team; it also contains a number of solos and duets. This year the dancers performed through the decades in honor of the school’s 50th anniversary, featuring songs from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and today, to showcase bits of history through their dancing. The ’70s portion heavily featured disco and gospel, also incorporating musical theatre and jazz styles throughout. The ’80s section was short-lived and featured the synth-pop style typically associated with the genre; the ’90s section was hip-hop heavy with an emphasis on the rap group, the Beastie Boys. The 2000s was the largest section of the show, featuring everything from sweeping lyrical solos to jazzy hip-hop group numbers, all culminating into a fantastic display of what the school has to offer the dance world. Director David Ramos made sure to highlight every member of every class, making skill-appropriate dances that each performer seemed genuinely happy to perform. Throughout the performance you could catch him in the tech booth smiling down at the performance, with his students looking up from the stage to a clearly loved instructor. Another interesting feature of the show is that a majority of it was student choreographed with major contributions made by Seniors Aaliyah Spurlock and Lindsay Sheridan, both having choreographed four songs. Both seniors participated in the dances they choreographed, giving the younger students someone to look to and a standard to hold themselves to as they progress along their journey with dance. The performers ended the night with a tribute to their graduating seniors, setting a high bar for students.

Gallery • 10 Photos

Photo provided by: Madalyn Propst

The majority Senior Group, Commercial 4, performs a stunning piece entitled "Underground", choreographed by senior Aaliyah Spurlock. They turned up the intensity of the dance near the end, performing the pictured lift.

to follow going into the next year.