The curtain opens, the spotlight shines, and the music begins to play. The audience is soon captivated by the figure dancing on the stage. This is a scene Piedmont residents and students are well-accustomed to thanks to the dance performances that appear at the Alan Harvey Theater each spring.
The Spring Dance Showcase is coming up at the end of April, exact dates and times will be announced soon.
“[The dance show] will be a version of the movie ‘Step Up,’ but the student choreographed part of the show does not follow a general theme,” dance teacher Amy Moorhead said.
The class worked together to pick the theme of the show, senior Princeton Liu said.
“[Picking the theme] was a group effort,” Liu said “We all pitched in ideas, but ultimately Mrs. Moorhead made the final decision.”
Junior Maggie Lucas will be portraying the character of Nora from the movie ‘Step Up.’”
“In the second half of the show I am involved in a few group dances,” Lucas said.
Junior Saatvik Dube will be portraying a minor role in the “Step Up” portion of the show.
“I will be in a dance in a smaller group during the second half of the show,” Dube said.
There will be a wide variety of dances in the show, Moorhead said.
“The genre that students have experience with or are interested in tends to shift over the years,” Moorhead said “This year we have a lot of hip hop dancers as well as modern and contemporary dancers. It’s nice because there will be something for everybody.”
Moorhead said that it is important for kids to dance for an assortment of reasons.
“Some people consider dance to be the purest form of expression,” Moorhead said.
The dance class is a welcoming and fun community, Lucas said.
“Because our dance class has no specific genre or style of dance, everyone is forced to stretch themselves and move in ways that they haven’t before,” Lucas said.
It is also great exercise since you work both sides of your body equally, Moorhead said.
“I have seen kids blossom in the dance program that have not really had a place here at Piedmont High School until they join the dance class,” Moorhead said. “It’s something that I’m proud of and I think the students are proud as well that it is a very inclusive environment.”
