COMMIT. The West High Dance Department hosted its annual January show this past Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from January 6th to January 8th, featuring performances from dancers from across all skill levels, Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced, as well as board members from Choreo Club. While Thursday and Wednesday were filled more with parents, the Friday show was sold out, the audience filled with students and faculty alike, in addition to many standing in the back.  

Notably, Sydney Chih (12) wowed with her solo to the ballad, “Not About Angels,” by Birdy. Beginning Dance also caught the attention of the audience with their fun and sassy choreography to “Confident,” by Demi Lovato. Sarah Uchino (12) and Ariel Rubin (12) performed a duet to a jazzy rendition to Frank Ocean’s “Thinking About You,” and Choreo Club Board delighted the audience with a powerful choreography to a medley of popular songs. Performances were enhanced by the striking visual effects, such as the bold lighting, fog, and dazzling costumes, making it an overall memorable show.
The Dance Department spent several months preparing for the show, beginning in November to hold auditions for specific performances, and since then, have spent many  hours in class and after school getting ready for each night. This effort did not go unnoticed, performances were stellar at every skill level, and the theme of the show, “Commit,” was very fitting. An Hoang (12), an Advanced Dancer, said that “it really hit [her] on the last night of the dance show that it was the beginning of the end for seniors on the team.” Although this realization was bittersweet,  she “tried not to let it affect [her] performance and [was] proud of what [she], and all the dancers, were able to accomplish.”Artistic director Alyssa Sack (12)  worked with fellow director Uchino, and Ms. Vorhis, the Director and Dance teacher at West. Sack worked with “other levels in the department,” and one of her goals as a director was “to be a good role model for the girls and boys in the dance department.” Vorhis was “impressed with how every single dancer took personal responsibility to better themselves and their dances.” She believed that all of the dances “committed themselves to have a successful show.”