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Seniors President Rishan Ephrem and Vice President Teagan So emceed the whole event (Claire Ke)

The spotlight’s on the stage. The red curtain rises, and a group of dark silhouettes stand side by side, awaiting the cue of the music…
The 2019 Dance Showcase, Feet Don’t Fail Me Now, was quite a spectacle. It brought the school’s diversity and spirit on the stage, incorporating energetic dancing to hype music as well as soulful dancing to calmer music. Every act had something to remember whether it was a dancing dinosaur or a graceful ballet dance. Each performance captured the audience, producing a wave of clapping that filled the theater with positive energy.  
One of the strongest aspects of this performance was the amount of dancers that were able to show their talent to a significantly large audience. The level of participation went far beyond the UHS Dance Program, but extended to students who may have never thought of tapping their feet a few times on stage. Being on stage for most of the dancers is nerve wrecking, but also empowering, as they see the faces of their teachers, parents, and peers all rooting them on to dance their hardest.
“The crowd became super hype when I performed and it makes you want to dance harder. It feels awesome when the crowd is behind you,” junior Gaurav Malhotra said.
Malhotra and his partner, sophomore Mannsukh Bhogal, were just one example of the many dancers that got the audience to move their bodies with their dance moves.
Another great aspect of the dance showcase was the immense diversity present in the program, such as acts that fused traditional Indian dance to pop culture. This added character and an interesting twist to the show, as the audience was able to experience the diversity present at this school. One dance in particular, featuring sophomore Ishita Srivastava and sophomore Siddhi Pisal, had a creative combination of traditional Indian dance paired with a remix of “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran.
“I was very excited to choreograph the Breathless duet with my partner, as it represented a blend of the contrasting techniques within Bollywood and Bhraratnatyam….” Srivastava said, “[bringing] together two different dance styles consisting of both graceful movements with classical technique as well as a fun, hip hop twist,”
Sitting amidst an audience shouting the names of the performers on stage really showed the spirit and energy of our school, as nobody in the audience was ready to judge a mistake on stage, but instead they were all excited to see their peers dance.
However, this wonderful performance would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication from both the crew and the dancers. Rehearsing for hours upon hours, these students were able to produce a show so professionally run that the theater no longer felt like a school theater. The hard work and perseverance of every member on stage showed, as the logistics and performance itself looked extremely close to flawless.
“My favorite part is how accepting and supportive everyone is of each other’s work. During the dress rehearsal, everyone is screaming each other’s names to hype up the dancers on stage. It’s a really empowering community, and I’m glad I could be a part of it,” Senior Simran Nayyar said.
Whether the dance was slow and soulful or fast and hype, the audience, myself included, unconditionally enjoyed watching each dance from the beginning to the end.