By Abigale Paterniti, Staff Writer
Over the past 3 weeks, the River Hill dance company has been working furiously in order to make this year’s pep rally as spectacular as possible.
The dance department includes dance 1, 2, 3 and 4 and will not be performing in the pep rally. However, junior company and senior company will be performing, representing the entire dance department.
Dancers have been working hours to achieve perfection. Equally entertaining as it is challenging, the pep rally this year is very promising.
Dancer Ayo Somori from junior company and poms expresses her enthusiasm, “This is my first year on junior company, and I’ve never performed with the dance company for pep rally, so i’m super excited for the experience”
As for members of senior company, Piper Stephan, a member of both senior company and poms says, “I always get excited to perform; I just hope it won’t be too hot.”
Not only are members of the company excited for the pep rally this year, but also are the members of dance 1-4 because they find inspiration in watching the company. “I always looked forward to company’s performances at pep rallies, they are always the best part,” said Karen Interiano Saavedra, a sophomore on dance 2.
Mrs. Byrd, the director, coordinator, lead choreographer, and social media manager of RHHS dance, expressed her ambitions for this year:“I hope we top ourselves every year, and for next year to be even better than this year.”
One of the key factors to meeting this goal is organization. Mrs. Byrd expressed how organized the dance department is, by “planning out the time period between the start of the school year and pep rally and organizing dancers schedules in a way that allotted enough time to teach, clean, and practice.”
Another key factor that is essential to an entertaining performance is great minds working together. Particularly in the realm of choreography, Mrs. Byrd says, “All of the student choreographers have really stood out to me.” More specifically junior company members who are learning to teach choreo but also help clean, picking out music and getting comfortable with the entire process of what it takes to make pep rally a reality.
By thinking ahead, working as a team, and putting every pointed foot forward RHHS dance company continues to reach every goal, and push expectations further.
What was the result of all their work? An exhilarating three minute and eight second blend of hip hop and jazz, intricate choreography, high energy, attention to detail, musicality, leaps and turns. Of course, all featuring your favorite artists.