Jayson Liu
Aragon’s dance program held its annual dance showcase, “‘Till the Break of Dons,” on May 8 and 9 from 7-9 p.m. Taking place in the theater, it featured the dance classes, along with Aragon Ballet Folklorico Club, Hip Hop Club, Dance4Health Club and the fall and winter dance teams.
“[The] end of the year showcase [is] where the students get to show off all the hard work, time, effort and dedication that they [have] put into their dances,” said dance teacher Marisa Castillo. “[Not] only am I choreographing, but the students get to choreograph [as well]. They get to really see how their work looks on a bigger stage, which is a very unique opportunity.”
Choreographing the dances starts early in the year. Castillo first asks the dance class members for proposals of their dances in November. By January, classes are spent learning the dances and preparing for the show. Dance clubs and dance teams were also contacted at this time to see if there is interest in participating in the showcase.
The choreography and themes that the dancers conveyed in their pieces originated from varying sources of inspiration.
“We did [an Indian classical piece] that focused on Lord Krishna’s beauty and grace,” said junior and Dance4Health Club president Kirthana Warrier. “Everyone has a special attachment [to] his dance pieces, because there’s a lot of jumping and a lot of upbeat music. You correlate him to childishness and [having a] carefree nature.”
The show opened with a piece titled “Where I Want to Be,” which featured Aragon’s dance classes. It was followed by a few opening speeches from Castillo and the student directors.
The showcase included many whole class and group performances, as well as solos and small group performances. The dance team performed their fall and winter programs, Dance4Health Club performed the Bharatanatyam piece “Brindavana Saranga Thillana” and the dance program performed “I Didn’t Think It’d Go This Far” using music from “reckless driving” by Lizzy McAlpine and Ben Kessler.
“[The most memorable pieces for me were] ‘Burning Up That Hill,’ and ‘This is Me,’ [from] ‘Stranger Things,’” said freshman Tina Zhang. “I kind of recognize the character, so I find it kind of memorable. And [the visual engineering is] so good.”
Aragon Ballet Folklorico danced Jarabe Tapatio.
“We chose the most enthusiastic and vibrant dances and we also tried to do that with our costumes,” said Lesly Alegria, junior and Aragon Ballet Folklorico vice president. “We [chose our] colors because those are the ones that stand out the most when performing. Sharing a lot of the footwork [was] definitely difficult, especially with the club members that recently joined … but honestly, everyone [is] insanely amazing [and] they’re really fast learners, and you can see that they enjoy doing folklorico.”
The showcase included many whole class and group performances, as well as solos and small group performances. There were a variety of styles of dance, many featuring dances from different cultures.
“We [all] had countless rehearsals and stage rehearsals together, and that was really fun,” Warrier said. “Bringing together dancers from different backgrounds and different styles and who have different experiences is a beautiful part of this. Whether it was the dance team or [dance clubs] or the dance classes, everyone came together with one purpose.”
The show ended off with a performance featuring the entire cast and participants of the show, titled “A Little Party,” followed by bows and curtain calls.
“I really liked [the performance],” said sophomore Jennifer Kim. “I walked in thinking it would just be a show [and didn’t really have expectations], but [after watching it, it] really made me excited. I plan [on going] to future shows now because of this one.”
Some members of the audience found that they resonated with the performances.
“I love dance,” said audience member Jean McFadden. “I dance myself, so I appreciate everything that was happening. I liked the solos, and the people who put so much effort into it. The visuals were amazing, [and] it was amazing to watch. I was very charmed by all the dancers.”
Many of the performers hope to continue participating in “Til the Break of Dons” next year.
“There’s a certain amount of satisfaction that comes from executing a successful performance,” Warrier said. “You see that the audience was happy with it [and] everyone around you was happy with their performances.”
“Till the Break of Dons” will return in May 2027.
