![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
“Remixed and Reimagined”: Students and faculty prepare for the annual dance production
Junior Zoe Kister jumps into a crowd of dancers. Zoe is one of eight student choreographers.
January 31, 2020
The stage lights up in a purple hue, silhouetting a group of dancers in the background. They pose as the music begins, before gracefully leaping towards the audience during Thursday’s dress rehearsal.
The upper school will present its ninth annual dance show tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center. 175 students will perform in the production, with 25 dances, eight of which are student choreographed. This will be the second time the production is held in the performing arts center..
The theme this year was “Remixed and Reimagined,” and the first half of the show focuses on remixing, while the second focuses on reimagining. All dances in the first act are accompanied by remixes of an original song, and the second act contains “reimagined” styles of songs, which include covers, acoustic versions and mashups.
A dancer points during her routine. The week before the show, students attended three hour rehearsals to prepare for the show.
“I selected [this theme] because I think it allows for a variety of music, especially popular music,” said Karl Kuehn, director of the show and upper school dance teacher. “Remixed and reimagined is more general and allows for choreographers to have free range for the music, as long as it’s a remix or cover or interpretation.”
Dancers have been rehearsing since the fall, when they were placed into routines based on their schedules and their performances at the audition on Sept. 14. The week before the show, students attended three hour rehearsals to prepare for the show.
Many new students to Harker are participating in the show.
“I’m enjoying it a lot,” said Paulina Gicqueau (9), a new student to Harker. “I’m very happy with the dance that I’m in and the people that I’ve met. I really like the environment they have.”
Some students are both performers and choreographers for the show. Choreographers need to choose costumes, props and stage designs. Sometimes it is difficult to get everything to work, but these details can add a finish touch to both individual dances and the entire show.
“[The costume] needs to fit the style of the dance and the movement. But it also needs to be in stock, it needs to be able to ship over in time, and it needs to be able to fit everyone in the dance. It also has to look good on everybody,” said Haun.
Choreography class, an elective option, is taught by Rachelle Haun, upper school dance teacher. Students planning to choreograph a dance in the production are required to take this class. The elective was created nine years ago, in order to teach students to learn how to choreograph, which is a key part of dancing. Students would learn about other choreographers and analyze their tactics.
“We look at all the different things: we look at phrasing and the shape of the dance, we look at different ways to create meaning for dance and the importance of themes,” Haun said.
Vance Hirota (12) has been dancing at Harker for 12 years now, and he choreographed a routine for both last year’s and this year’s productions. He took the choreography elective when he was a junior, which had a huge impact on his future in dance.
“I dance because I like being able to express myself through something that’s not words, and [it gives me] an opportunity to showcase something I’m really passionate about,” said Vance. “What drives me to choreograph is learning about new techniques and strategies because there’s always something to improve on.”
The eight student choreographers are seniors Anna Miner, Emiko Armstrong, Charlotte Blanc, Chloe Chen, Kai Ming Ang and Vance Hirota and juniors Kristin Tong and Zoe Kister.
In addition to the student routines, there will be one faculty routine. The faculty performers are Director of Alumni Relations Kristina Alaniz, upper school English teacher Christopher Hurshman, Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs Amy Hauck, French teacher Agnes Pommier, vocal teacher Jennifer Sandusky, nurse Clare Elchert, history teacher Carol Green, Assistant to the Head of the Upper School Lori Villarreal, upper school Director of Learning, Innovation and Design Diane Main, Administrative Services Receptionist Luanne Stanley and Administrative Services Receptionist and Preschool to Grade 12 Director of Learning, Innovation and Design Liz Brumbaugh.
Tickets to the dance show are available at tiny.cc/danceshow2020.
Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified Zoe Kister (11) in the photo and incorrectly listed the student choreographers. The article has been updated to reflect these errors.
