The school’s dance teams presented their annual Fall for Dance Show at the Performing Arts Center last Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.  The production, which was in preparation since the beginning of the school year, included large and small varsity performances in contemporary and hip-hop, alongside junior varsity performances in the same styles from the Intermediate Dance, Advanced Dance and three Dance P.E. periods.

The show included intricate and dynamic dances that the varsity contemporary team, from both small and large groups, as well as new dancers from PE classes, performed.

Beginning with contemporary, the show trickled into hip-hop along the way. Contemporary dancers dazzled the audience with beautiful, fluid movements, taking the audience’s breath away as they turned and flipped.

The program opened with “Sweet Dreams,” a large varsity contemporary piece featuring lead Emi Kiyota (12) in a white costume, contrasted against the dancers dressed in black.

Then, Maddy Hall (12), varsity hip-hop co-captain and contemporary captain, danced to an intricate and fiery solo, “Seduces Me.”

Hall was a recognizable face on stage, performing solo and in small and large groups for both styles.

“Something special about this year’s show is that this was my first time doing a solo for the team and showcasing it in a performance,” Hall said.

Additionally, Hall focused on what the production meant to her.

 “I want the message of our extra small contemporary dance to rub off on the audience,” Hall said. “It’s telling the story of really cherishing something while you still have it, and that reminds me of what this team means to me, especially [since] it’s my last year here.”

Other group contemporary pieces were  “Can you Hear Me,” “My Immortal,” “Blackout,” “Big White Room,” “Gloom Sunday,” “Where are you,” “Question of U,” “It Doesn’t Hurt,” “Sing a Song,” “An evening I won’t Forget” and “Ooh Child.”

The show featured a variety of hip-hop pieces, such as “Lean back” by Dance P.E. Per 2, “My house” by the JV hip-hop performance team, “Tootsie Roll” by Dance P.E. Per. 6, “She Twerk” by Intermediate Dance P.E. Per. 4, “Nokia” by Dance P.E. Per. 1 and “It’s a Party” by the varsity hip-hop performance team.

The dancers showcased the excellence of the sharp movements backed up with hype and intense music.

“I hope to leave the audience with the connection and love that is between all dancers as they perform with their friends and perform for the people they love,” Caitlyn Van Hoose (12), captain of the varsity hip-hop team, said. “This year’s Fall for Dance Show means to me, specifically as a senior who has been on the dance team for four years, it really shows the growth of the program in the passion of all the kids, and it was just super exciting to see.”

Van Hoose is one of many dancers who feel their connection to the show and what it means to perform.

“The Fall for Dance is a showcase where all coaches get to exhibit all the work they’ve put in from boot camp, until now,” Francis Florendo, dance team coach, said. “It is as] well the first time dance PE gets to step foot on the stage, showcasing for some, their first time ever dancing and performing. I always hope to leave the audience feeling proud and inspired with their kids on the stage, and also just excited with all the new work that is being put out.”

Van Hoose shared the work done behind the scenes.

“This performance definitely has a bunch of work on the [back] end,” Van Hoose said. “We do [dance team] boot camp over the summer and the dance PE classes work on their [dances] for months in advance. Dance team does a lot of cleaning [of the dance] in the upcoming weeks in order to make sure the show we put on is the best one for the audience.”

With the amount of work and time required for a successful performance, there is a clear sense of commitment, which stems from “the love for the team” and the “passion for dance that keeps us going when we’re super busy and overwhelmed with everything else,” according to Van Hoose. 

As captain, Van Hoose discussed her relationship with new dancers.

“Watching all the young faces light up with passion for dance is such a fulfilling thing,” Van Hoose said. “It reminds me that being a captain and a leader is more than just being a dedicated dancer, but also a kind person. I want to be a role model to all the young people who want to be dancers when they’re older.”

Hall emphasized the time and energy that goes into performing such an extravagant show. 

“We spend a lot of our time in rehearsals cleaning the dances and building our stamina to do several dances back to back, which is a lot more challenging than it seems,” Hall said. “A lot of dancers do training outside of Torrey Pines to build their strength and stamina, and emotionally to prepare us.”

Over the course of constant practices, “the team builds a bond and connection between each dancer,” according to Florendo. 

Florendo elaborated on what these experiences and showcases mean to him.

“For 8 years has taught me so many life skills as well as the ability to motivate, push, and inspire the [dancers] I work with,” Florendo said. “I truly am grateful for all the experiences I’ve had here and I’m definitely a newer version of myself looking back to 2017.”

To Florendo, Fall for Dance is a unique showcase of the program’s dancers and choreographers.  

“What makes Fall for Dance different from others was the material each coach had put out,” Florendo said. “We are really pushing the boundaries of their own creativity, as well as a new level of dance skill presented from Dance PE, and their excitement and willingness to grow.”