By: Zarina Yunis
With performance ranging from hip-hop to lyrical, The Northwood HALO Dance for Autism club held its annual winter showcase on March 8 to raise autism awareness through the art of dance.
The showcase featured a variety of performances by students in of all four levels of dance offered at Northwood. Performances included many styles of dance including lyrical, contemporary, jazz and hip-hop. Each dance was largely choreographed by the students.
“Every dance’s choreographer always has their own unique style and ideas,” Dance Three sophomore Annie Hu said. “When you’re backstage, you are close enough where you can appreciate every little detail in the dance and admire the gorgeous costumes up close.”
HALO Dance for Autism coordinates the show each year and donates all of the proceeds to the HALO Foundation. The HALO Foundation is an organization dedicated to helping educate and serve children with autism, as well as raising money to help these children and their families through its annual HALO Dance for Autism show.
“Personally, my favorite part of this show is how involved the HALO club members are,” HALO Dance for Autism club president and senior Lia Chen said. “We all took ownership of different aspects of the show such as concession sales, ticket sales and ushering.”
Each performance allowed the dancers to use their imaginations and express themselves through a special form of art. The songs they danced to ranged from pop songs like “What Do I Know” by Ed Sheeran to more upbeat songs like “Saturday Sun” by Vance Joy, giving each dance a different vibe. This array of song choices, combined with the dancers’ focus, energy and vibrant costumes, set unique moods for each dance to create an unforgettable showcase.
“Dancing is something so graceful and powerful that allows me to tell a story to the audience,” Dance Three sophomore Nitya Swaminath said. “I can express myself through every movement.”
While the performances themselves create lasting memories for dancers to hold on to for the rest of their high school career, the bonds created during the show also make the event a rewarding experience.
“Everyone always congratulates each other and wishes each other good luck while running by, which is always so sweet and helps shake off nerves,” Hu said.
Currently, Northwood’s dance department is preparing for its spring show which will be held in May. For more information about dance here at Northwood, visit the school website or contact northwooddance@gmail.com.