LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — It takes endless hours of hard work, conditioning and repetition of move after move of choreography to accumulate a work of art. Los Alamitos High School’s dance program has been known to perform at pep rallies and amaze with numerous dazzling shows. Advanced Dance students have spent years of hard work cultivating their talent, which they display at school performances every semester.
The advanced dancers report spending at least 12 hours, on average, each week practicing choreography and perfecting technique. On top of it all, they must complete their required classes’ work while still having to practice for hours on their own time.
The dancers of LAHS also deal with personal struggles, the pressure to be perfect onstage and the challenge of working as a group to make dances cohesive.
“There are struggles, such as everyone having to be on the right timing and working our bodies and minds to do the choreography as best as possible,” said Advanced Dance member Melina Limon.
The complete formation of everyone in their choreography is what creates the breathtaking numbers under the lights of the LAHS Performing Arts Center.
These dancers look up to their predecessors, some of whom are their family whose legacies they want uphold. These siblings, seniors and role models are the examples of new dancers who want to follow in their footsteps.
“My sister is a dancer, and she’s so incredibly talented and successful. My biggest fear was, and still is, what if I can’t live up to her standards? What if, after all my hard work, I can never step out of her shadow and become Jayden and not Kendal’s little sister?” Villa said.
The dancers feel it is worth it because of the many aspects they love about dance: the ability to portray a story and character in such an active and immersive way and the expression in physical movement. For some, dance offered a chance to put on a show even if they may be more introverted in their everyday personality.
By the end of the final product, these dancers’ hours of work and choreographing, is fulfilling. The final product of these athletes is always a spectacle to behold, and it is what allows such a strong connection between everyone in the program. The work of the dancers, their teacher Mrs. Jones and their choreographer Mrs. Fight will come together in their upcoming show “Terra Volta,” onstage at the PAC from Nov. 13-16.
“I think that it’s very accomplishing to see how far we’ve come, especially if we’re struggling in the beginning of dance since we have to learn a lot, and then having this amazing outcome with everybody together,” dancer Anazel Gonzalez said.
The athletes, dancer and artists of Advanced Dance want other Griffins to know just how much effort and work is done to curate these displays of creativity. They exercise and condition their bodies and technique just as much other sports.
“I want students to know how much mental and physical strength it takes to be on that stage,” Villa said. “Dance is mentally challenging, demands a lot of physical exertion and can leave us all desperately out of breath by the end. Dance is not just an art; dance is a sport that I’ve participated in my entire life.”
Dancers are artists and athletes, and LAHS Advanced Dance is filled with many hardworking students whom Griffins can watch perform in “Terra Volta” this Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets may be purchased here.
