![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Annual dance show fast approaching
Students rehearse a routine in the dance room after school. This year’s production features over 160 dancers in 24 dances.
January 25, 2017
Run-throughs for the annual upper school dance show are underway at the Blackford campus as of Monday.
For the duration of this week, the dancers, having rehearsed an hour each week per dance beginning in late September, will be running through the entire show from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. to add the finishing touches to their routines. Monday’s rehearsal was also the first time that the stage crew tested lighting and prop movement.
This year’s dance show, themed “Circus,” will be divided into two acts. The first act, “Welcome to the Circus,” focuses on more general and recognizable circus themes. “Daring Acts and Sideshow Freaks,” the second act, is inspired by more riveting and enthralling circus acts, such as tightrope walkers and knife throwers.
The directors of this year’s dance production, upper school dance instructors Karl Kuehn and Rachelle Haun, purposely chose this theme due to its flexibility and room for extensive creativity regarding props, costumes, choreography and other dance elements of the like.
“I selected ‘Circus’ because I thought that it would be kind of a fun and cohesive theme that would enable student choreographers to explore new and exciting music, incorporate kind of fun props and ultimately dazzle the audiences,” Kuehn said. “I just thought that it would be kind of a good theme for a high school dance show.”
As always, the show will feature the pieces of students choreographers, who are given the opportunity to display their skills through choreographing several of the dances in the dance production. Ten juniors and seniors, all of whom are taking the respective choreography class, were selected for this year’s show.
With over 160 dancers participating this year, including nine faculty, this year’s production marks the largest cast in Harker dance show history.
“I think [people] should look forward to seeing some talented Harker students on the stage doing what they love. There are some fun faculty-membered numbers dancing and we have some interesting and unique props and surprises throughout the show, so it should be exciting,” Kuehn said.
The shows will be performed a total of four times: one during school hours for the Middle School on Friday, two for general audiences Friday and Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. and a Saturday matinee at 2:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $8 for students, $18 dollars for adults and $25 for reserved seats. They will be sold during lunch for the rest of the week.
The gallery below features pictures from last year’s dance production, titled “Mixed Tape: Songs to Dance To!”
