Dancing into the spotlight at Saint John Paul the Great

In a departure from the Dance Club’s fall performance — a lyrical ballet number set to “Pure Imagination” from the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” soundtrack — the club performed a hip-hop routine to “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” a remix of songs from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack.

Freshman leader Emma Madorma has four years of hip-hop dance experience at a local studio. The club meets every Wednesday to rehearse the routine they choreographed for the recital.

“A dance is all about intriguing the audience with a style that catches their eye,” said Madorma on what goes into choreography.

Students in Dance I and II also were hard at work preparing multiple routines featuring a range of dance styles, including a ballet routine set to songs from “The Lord of the Ring” soundtracks and a jazz routine featuring songs from the “Harry Potter” soundtracks.

Freshman Rachel Berger performed in the fall recital and was excited to be in the audience for the final recital. When asked what advice she would give students involved in the production, she said, “I would advise them to be confident.” 

Berger also hoped they enjoyed their performance as much as she did, remembering her own performance. “The best part about being on stage is the feeling that you accomplished something and now you can show it off,” she said.

Laurie Stio, who teaches Dance I and II and sponsors the Dance Club and dance recitals, hoped that the confidence students gain through performance will extend beyond the stage and that through dance, students will “learn to move their body in a different way and be more confident in their physical abilities and learn how to use dance as an outlet.”