By Abigale Paterniti, News Editor
After a successful winter dance concert, River Hill’s Senior and Junior Company members were faced with rigorous preparation in anticipation of their upcoming Howard County Dance Festival (HCDF).
Featuring performances from all 13 Howard County high school dance companies and the 2024-2025 All-County Dance Performance Ensemble, the event occurred on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, from 7-9:00 p.m. at Oakland Mills High School.
Tickets for the event were available online only, as they were in high demand. Families, friends, and teachers from across the county assembled in the auditorium to support the dancers. With so many eyes watching and expecting, River Hill was faced with the high expectations of the evening, intending to bring their very best.
This is the third year of the HCDF post covid. Mrs. Byrd, River Hill’s Dance Director, felt that “all the schools were getting the hang of the routine the past couple of years and this year things seemed to really lock in for everyone.” Byrd emphasizes how “each year [she] gets more comfortable with the process.”
This year, the Senior dance company performed a jazz piece titled “Fever.” Similarly, the Junior dance company performed a jazz dance to “When I Grow Up,” an early 2000s classic. The Senior Company had previously performed “Fever” as the opener to the winter dance concert. Following the concert, dancers performed these favored pieces once again at the winter extravaganza, and for the last time at HCDF.
The week leading up to the festival included preparations on January 28 and 30 for Senior Company members and January 27 and 30 for Junior Company members. During these sessions, they broke down the choreography into smaller pieces to clarify details and timing and ran through the dances from start to finish. On the evening of the 30th, dancers came together for a tech rehearsal, staging the dances on stage, running through formation changes, and lastly learning lighting cues at Oakland Mills High School. Finally, the River Hill dance companies were ready to showcase their incredible talents in front of the entire county.
At 7:00 AM, all-county dancers picked from every high school through a rigorous audition process arrived at Oakland Mills to stage the choreography for the opener. All-county dancers from River Hill included Ava Whitfield, Lucy Qian and Katie Krause.
At 1:15 PM, the remaining dancers from the festival arrived in makeup and costume. Upon arrival, dancers were directed to their team dressing rooms. Soon after, dancers walked on stage for a dress rehearsal where they were given the unique opportunity to showcase each of their dances to one another prior to the evening show.
The River Hill dance team had ample support and fans, Olivia Muzzati, a sophomore in senior company, exclaimed how “all of my dance moms came to watch.” Similarly, Leyla Tarhan, also a sophomore in senior company, received an admiration message from her mom after performing.
Tina Wong, a senior in senior company, remarked on her last HCDF, “I’m just really happy to have everyone dancing together the last time with me, and I’m glad it went well in our last time performing ‘Fever’ together.”
From the perspective of River Hill’s director Mrs. Byrd, they worked “hard to make our dances look clean and polished. The dancers always show up prepared to put their best foot forward.”
A fan favorite was “Men In Black” from the Marriotts Ridge Junior Company. Andy Rahman, a sophomore in senior company, remarked how she “loved the combination of styles and personality, really shown throughout the dance.” The dance consisted of upbeat dance breaks, with hip hop style that made watchers smile.
Furthermore, Andy noted the efficiency of the process. There wasn’t as much downtime compared to last year, yet Andy never got “the feeling of being too rushed”. In terms of performance, Andy felt “proud of how [she] performed, and doesn’t have any regrets.”
Her wish for next year is to “interact with people from other schools more,” as this is a unique opportunity to meet new people of similar interests and recognize friends from the past. Prior to the event Andy “looked forward to seeing old faces.”
Most notably, at dinner time students from other schools connect over take-out dinners. Referencing this meal time, Mrs. Byrd reflected upon how her ”dancers were respectful and kind to the other dance teachers and companies and could not have asked for more from them.” River Hill dancers ate Panera meals that included sandwiches and salads, with complimentary chips and cookies.
River Hill company members thoroughly enjoyed their experience, and look forward to the Howard County Dance Festival in 2026.