LOS ALAMITOS, Calif.– From Wednesday, Nov. 12, to Saturday, Nov. 15, the Los Alamitos High School dance program held its first performance of the school year, “The Blind Tiger”. Despite the rainy weather, friends and family packed the Performing Arts Center every night to support all dance levels from beginning, intermediate one, two and three, as well as advanced dance.
“The dance show is an amazing place to express yourself!” said junior and intermediate one dancer Giselle Alonso.
The show is set in a 1930s speakeasy created during Prohibition, a period in American history where alcohol was illegal. To provide access to alcohol, speakeasies were created where a person wishing to purchase the illegal substance could find a drink from a sign that said “Blind Tiger, ten cents a sight” and could then give a dime for a “Blind Tiger”.
When the audience first walked into the LAHS Performing Arts Center, they could see dancers in sparkly black outfits walking throughout the room carrying fake martinis and beer glasses. During intermission, the dancers returned with trays that carried root beer candy and candy cigarettes that tied back into the theme of the 1930s bar scene.
The show included costumes that were themed after Marie Antoinette, a showgirl and the popular musical Newsies. Some of the songs dancers performed included “Emperor’s New Clothes” by Panic at the Disco!, “Thumbs” by Sabrina Carpenter, “A King is Born” by Tom Inglis and “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson.
“The process of preparing for the (dance show) is like three months long,” said intermediate two dancer and sophomore Naomi Dixon. “It’s a great way to make new friends!”
Middle school students from Oak and McAuliffe were dressed like frogs and stunned the audience with their impressive dance moves in the second half of the show. This was the first time that middle schoolers were included in the show, and it’s also the first year that a dance has been available at the middle schools.
The performance followed the story of a detective who is investigating the case of a missing woman named Annie, who went missing from her job as a singer at a speakeasy.
Throughout the show, a detective, Charlie Moon, was shown investigating the murder of a woman named Annie, which angers those who are involved. Later in the show, Annie was found dead in the detective’s office, which was reported to the police. Moon continues to investigate Annie’s murder as police investigate the crime scene.
At the scene of Annie’s murder, the audience was introduced to boxer Buddy Gallagher, who was Annie’s boyfriend. Gallagher begins to get involved with the case and aids Moon in his investigation. It was eventually discovered that a judge who was supposed to rule on Annie’s murder was being bribed to convict Moon. The detective was later able to prove that the judge was corrupt and police were able to arrest the judge and those involved in the murder. Moon then decided to retire and passed his role onto Gallagher, who was a key figure in discovering what happened to Annie.
Dancers of all levels did a great job and were ultimately able to show their passion for dance throughout the performance. They really brought the 1930s theme to life. Congratulations to all the dancers on their amazing performance!
