Dance Teams’ Season Culminates with Annual Stage Show

DIANA LI
News Editor

DENISE TIEU
Staff Writer

After an entire school year’s worth of intense practice and competition, AHS’ dance teams showcased their skills and award-winning performances in this year’s Stage Show, “The Show Must Go On,” on April 26 in the school auditorium.
“Alhambra Dance has been working hard these past few weeks,” All-Male Leader Raymond Tran said. “We’ve been adding new routines in just for this show and [cleaning up] a lot of our old routines.”
One major difference distinguishing this year’s Stage Show from last year’s performance was the new show coordinator, Cheer Coach and Dance Teacher Sarah Fong, who stepped in as the dance teams’ new adviser.
“Getting to know [the dancers] this year made me realize how important Stage Show is to them,” Fong said. “I know these students have been working hard throughout their season, and to not have a closing show would be heartbreaking.”
However, the change of advisers has also left the dance teams with both more experience and self-reliance.
“Going from Mrs. Crawford, [the previous dance adviser], to a new adviser was a hard transition, but I think the main reason […] is because our practice was way different than what we were used to,” senior Drill Team member Summer Burlingham said. “Both Mrs. Crawford and our new adviser were great and I’m glad to have worked with […] them.”
This year’s show focused more on featuring the dancers by their respective classes in class routines. Solos, duets and one coed performance all took place that night. Between performances, MCs Bryan Phan and Kevin Luong kept the crowd entertained with jokes and commentary.
Furthermore, this year’s Stage Show lasted only one day. In previous years, two days were allotted for the performances; one day was designated for a student audience and a second day for family members. By shortening Stage Show to one day, the dance teams hoped to create a more successful show and generate a larger audience.
“We were told there were more than 600 tickets sold, and the crowd was amazing that night,” Orchesis Captain Shelley Wang said. “This year has brought the dance family closer than ever! We struggled a lot with the system but kept pushing and never gave up. I’m glad to say that I’ve been a part of this team for four years but it’s time to let go and hopefully the future generations can keep it as strong as we did.”