Chairs being placed, costumes being fitted, and dances being perfected. This is the scene one will encounter as the CCHS Dance Team puts the finishing touches on their Spring concert.
Three days before the event, the 27 members of varsity and junior varsity dance team have been practicing every day this week, and giving up some of their Sunday’s to make sure everything is perfect for the concert. The theme of this year’s concert is “Don Voyage.”
“It’s a very worldly inspired theme,” said Varsity Coach Sara Orbita, who has been a coach at UNI and CCHS a combined 13 years. “We want to make it feel like you [the audience] are going on a vacation, almost like you’re taking a journey.”
But what does “Don Voyage” even mean? “Abiza, Europe, New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas are some of the places that are going to be featured in our dances,” said Junior Natalie Klinge, who has been on dance team since she was a freshman. “In total, there will be about 30 songs, and I am in 13 of them, and I am also choreographing another.”
“A lot of people don’t realize the time, commitment, and dedication it takes to be on the dance team,” said Junior Mikala Burr, who has also been on the dance team since she was a freshman.
The varsity dance team’s hard work wasn’t just confined to this week. They also do community performances for Make a Wish San Diego. The season starts in the fall, but along with dancing for the school, all the girls belong to studios and attend practices and competitions as well. They have been working since January for this concert, along with practicing for competitions and rehearsing for football and basketball games. “Saturday morning I have to go to Ontario and compete in a competition for my studio, then I have to come back here [CCHS] and perform.” said Mikala.
At the concert there will be two special appearances by the CCHS “mance team,” and by the state champion Olympian High School all-male dance team. Just like Natalie, Mikala has been showing up Sunday’s on her free time to practice. “We practice other places on Sunday because we can’t practice here, and a lot of the boys on the mance team have things to do during the week, so we meet on Sunday’s practice” said Mikala.
Tickets for the concert are on sale now and can be purchased presale for $8 or $12 at the door on the day of the concert. All the money from the tickets goes towards the dance team’s fund. “We don’t have like a budget, so the money we get from these concerts goes towards our costumes, lights, and things like that,” said Natalie.
