Pose
Nathalie Jimenez, and Nikki Usares, both seniors, showed off their moves with the k-pop club as they lit up the stage with their performance. The members of the K-pop club spend time together at school to learn cover dances of K-pop songs. Jimenez started dancing freshman year when she took beginning dance. Since then, she has been learning many contemporary and hip hop dances and began her interest in k-pop dances sophomore year. “My favorite part about performing in Dance for Hope was feeling the excitement people felt for the kpop group. It wasn’t something I expected but it felt amazing to perform live and our hard work be seen,” Jimenez said.
Tip-toe
Dancers from Thrive Dance Studio performed a tap dance to the song “Jump Jive”. The crowd couldn’t help but sway along in their chairs after seeing their bright-colored dresses, smiling faces and hearing the rhythm coming from the bottom of their heels.
Smooth moves
The NPHS K-pop dance interest group danced to the song “Monster” by EXO. In a short five minutes, the dancers were able to spread their energy throughout every corner of the PAC. Adding on to the diversity of dance types and culture present in the show, the K-pop club successfully introduced a new type of the dance to the community
Grand finale
Performers in the Bollywood dance take over the stage as the night comes to the end. The Bollywood finale is one of the biggest Dance for Hope traditions as well as one of the most anticipated dance performances. Every year two students choreograph a Bollywood dance that would be performed by multiple students. This year, the finale consisted of a total of eight dances. “I think the most rewarding part was everyone having fun on stage and seeing the reaction that we got from it after, and knowing that the audience enjoyed it as much as we did,” Varna Kanapuram, senior and one of the choreographers of the Bollywood dance, said.
Dance for Hope is an annual dance fundraiser for American Cancer Society. This year, it was another full house as students and family from all over the community gathered in the PAC on Saturday night, Feb.29.
Interact Club is a fundraising and volunteer platform for all different kinds of community service. Every year two members on the Interact board are in charge of putting together Dance for Hope and this year the co-community chairs, Maya Patel and Varna Kanapuram, seniors, are the main organizers. “The most challenging part about (Dance for Hope) is organizing the dance companies, you’re like balancing eight different groups at the same time. Varna and I, we were constantly adjusting our program basically to the day of,” Patel said.
Many different groups from the community came together that night to put on the show. Dance companies such as Thrive Dance Studio and Aspire Dance Studio showcased contemporary dance performances, while the Hula Dance Group brought Hawaiian dances to the stage. Students from NPHS also took on a major role that night as the K-pop dance group and ballerina Marie Amelle-Thenoz captured the spotlight.
The crowd gave their last applause as the curtains closed on the finale. As the show ended, performers were greeted by their family and friends with congratulations for another successful night. This year a total of $3,322 was raised and donated to cancer research in the name of Teri Sanders, a beloved English teacher who passed away in November from stomach cancer.
