By Reeva Askar & Megan Guerrero
On April 14 and 15, Granada Hills Charter High School (GHC) held its annual dance recital at California State University of Northridge (CSUN) in their Plaza del Sol Performance Hall. The theme of this year’s event was “Let’s Go to the Movies!” and featured many performances inspired by famous films such as “Grease,” “Lemonade Mouth,” “Aladdin,” “Despicable Me,” and more.
The preparation for the show began a year in advance with finding and booking the venue as the first step.
“Most of the school year is used to choreograph and teach all the routines to all the dance classes,” dance teacher Dana Fukagawa said. “About two months from the show we started working on costuming, and the week of the show, we had tech rehearsal and a dress-run. These are the basic steps as there is a lot that goes into putting together a full production. All the work is worth it in the end.”
Students from all levels of GHC’s dance program, including intro, intermediate, and advanced, performed. In addition, dance team, ASB, Rev Steps, and a group of all seniors danced in the show.
“I enjoyed the environment of CSUN. I thought the theater we performed at was very professional,” sophomore Kristina Badozian said.
The entire recital was a polished performance, especially as they navigated multiple themes. The dancers had the opportunity to choose which dances they wanted to perform and what themes they wanted to convey, resulting in a wide variety of energy and themes throughout the performances.
“We all were able to have a say on what movies we wanted to perform for the recital,” sophomore Isabel Cabral said. “Then, we were able to narrow it down to the different dances our class performed. We also chose and recommended songs to our teachers.”
The high-energy “Footloose” dance was a popular and standout performance, telling a story of a town where rock music and dancing are illegal. All the dancers fight to change the law.
“I loved the Footloose dance,” sophomore Tiara Jade Cruz said. “It was just very high energy and the staging was really cool and everyone did really well.”
Another standout performance was “The Great Dictator” by the advanced dance group, which was inspired by the 1940s film of the same name. The dancers performed an interpretive dance that fit the serious nature of the final speech in the movie. The speech discusses how everyone is equal and should be united as one. The lighting also played a crucial role in emphasizing the theme and setting the tone for the performance.
Overall, the dance recital was a successful and enjoyable event for both performers and audience members.
The Plaid Press 