Panthers dance the night away
The house lights dim and a blue light shines on a couple standing in the middle of the gym. Music pumps through the speakers as the couple sashay across the dance floor, twirling the entire way down. The couple finish their dance with a final leap before posing in front of the judges, and the crowd erupts into applause. Dancing With the Stars Panthers was a night full of amazing performances, striking costumes and spectacular choreography: a night to remember.
Dancing With the Stars Panthers attracted hundreds of viewers who packed in the gym on Oct. 13 to watch their friends and family members perform. Every year, Dance Team hosts Dancing With the Start Panthers: an event where one member of Dance Team pairs up with a non-Dance Team member. Together, they choreograph and create a dance that they perform in front of three judges, who give them scores out of ten. At the end of the event, the partners with the top five scores are voted on by the student body and the winners are announced. The teachers and staff from NPHS and local dance schools perform at the event as well.
“We do this to get funding for us and to get costumes or busses or stuff for our competitions. It’s mostly getting our name out there.” Katherine Martel, senior and Dance Team member, said.
Martel paired up with Jack Sampson, senior, for an African style dance.
“In our dance we incorporated a lot of lifts. They were probably the most challenging thing because I’ve never done any of those before,” Sampson said. Sampson has never had any past dance experience, which added to the difficulty of the event.
Jubal Rancourt, senior, and Samantha Parker, senior, paired up to perform disco. Rancourt has taken dance classes in the past and is currently helping to lead the Dance for Hope event which will take place later this year. He has also participated in the Talent Show and Stud Pageant last year where he performed dance routines.
Rancourt was happy to have been able to participate in the show. “(It was) such a fun experience and it’s a once in a lifetime thing. Since I am a senior, I’m never going to have an experience like this again. I’m definitely going to remember it,” Rancourt said.
Many of the Panther stars did not have previous dance experience, they all left their hearts on the dance floor and gave it their all.
“It felt surreal, just dancing out there. I don’t really dance much so just to get out of my comfort zone and have a good time,” Sampson said.
