WRITTEN BY AMELIA MORRISSEY AND BREANNA RAMIREZ On January 21st, 2023 the VAAS dance competition team went to Newbury Park high school to compete against 16 other high schools in the first West Coast Elite competition of the year. The day started with a dance in the Jazz category, consisting of turns, leaps, and a lot of personality. The team performed a technical but sassy dance to the song “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by Jessie J. Overall it was placed 4th among the other competing high schools. Following up was the Lyrical dance which showcased the talented dancers' emotion and technique. This dance was performed to the song “Chained to the Rhythm” by Boyce Avenue. The dancers performed this piece beautifully earning the team 5th place. Later on, the Contemporary routine competed to the song “Take me Home” by Drehz. The movement of this dance is very modern, though still shows the dancers tricks and dynamic movements. This performance earned the team a 6th place in Contemporary. The Pom dance competed next and showcased a high energy dance full of sharp motions. The dance is performed to the song “Lakers” by FTampa and earned the team a first place in the Pom category. Last to perform was Hip Hop which was a definite crowd pleaser as the dance is very dynamic and high energy. With this performance the team placed 3rd, which rounded out their very successful competition day. Overall the VAAS dance competition team showed a fantastic performance at their first West Coast Elite competition, demonstrating their dedication, talent, and hard work. None of these dances would be possible without the teams choreographers Shadé Juste, Liz Porter-Medrano, Malia Tinay, and Karlie Tiscay. Congratulations to the team for a day of impressive performances that brought home a 4th place finish in Jazz, 5th in Lyrical, 6th in Contemporary, 1st in Pom, and 3rd in Hip Hop. The future is looking very bright for this group of talented dancers.
WRITTEN BY: AMELIA MORRISSEY
Many people at the school are familiar with the dance team, but have yet to get a chance to meet the new freshmen on the team. To get to know them better, they were interviewed about their experience so far. When freshmen were asked about the dance team and how they feel to be on it, there was an overwhelming response of love for the team. As Ava Zabate said, “I love being on the team. There are little moments where I feel like I have my own family here at VAAS.” Alyssa Myrato added, “I feel like I belong more in the school because of being on the dance team, and it’s made me feel closer to people.” Also as Kiana Tinay said, “I feel very happy that I was able to have the opportunity of being on the VAAS dance team.” Each student chose to join the team for different reasons, spanning from wanting a challenge for themselves, making friends, to seizing new opportunities in high school. As Aly Lazarovitz said, “I wanted to join the team because I love dancing and it has always been a very big part of my life. I also wanted to join the team because it has introduced me to so many new people and opportunities. It has given me so many new friendships and memories that I will cherish forever.” Ashly Rodriguez-Ayala added, “I had been on the dance team for most of middle school. I enjoy participating in events and performing for people as a form of entertainment. When I found out dance auditions were being held, I wanted to try out for the team because I knew it would be more challenging and help me grow.” When asking the freshman about their favorite dance styles there was a large variety of results ranging from hip hop, because you can be hard with your movements, which both Kiana Tinay and Ava Zabate enjoy. Dancers like Ashly Rodriguez-Ayala and Alyssa Myrato’s favorite style is lyrical due to its elegance and technicality as well as the emotion and story portrayed in a lyrical dance. The last response given was a preference for jazz which is Aly Lazarovitz’s favorite style because there are so many different ways to do jazz, “It can be sassy or soft, sharp or light, fast or slow.” These answers demonstrate the versatility of the dancers on the team. Tryouts for incoming freshmen were held separately from returning students. At tryouts, the incoming ninth graders did different combos and workouts to prepare them for the things the team does. Many freshmen were nervous when auditioning, such as Alyssa Myrato, who said, “It was scary at first when I tried out for the team, but I felt more confident and comfortable when I got on, and realized what the team was like.” When looking towards the upcoming competition season, most freshmen agreed that they were excited but also nervous. “I am super excited for the upcoming competition season. I have never really done dance competitions before so I don’ t know exactly what to expect but I know it will be a ton of fun”, said Aly Lazarovtiz. Ashly Rodriguez-Ayala added, “The competition season seems to be approaching way faster than expected and though I am nervous, I can’t help but be excited to compete and dance with my friends. I look forward to showing people the dances we have worked so hard on.” It sounds like competition season is going to be a memorable experience for the whole team. |
AuthorAmelia Morrissey Archives |