The stage erupts with a colorful stream of hoops and ribbons as Anna Lee (12) leaps across the floor, capturing the gaze of audience members with each of her precise movements highlighted amidst the flurry of motion. Instead of the typical stage freight prevalent for many performers, she finds the audience’s presence rewarding, a validation to all the work she put in prior. 

“Before actually performing, I get anxious, like the butterflies in my stomach,” Anna said. “But once the lights turn black, completely dark, it’s this extreme sense of emotion, of excitement, but also anxiety where you’re scared that you might not be able to do it, but you still have to push through with that decision. While you’re doing the dance with the audience watching you, it’s almost like a reward with all that hard work you’ve poured into.

A seasoned performer, Anna began her dancing career at three years old. Beginning with Chinese style dance, she later discovered her favorite style, rhythmic gymnastics, at eight. For Anna, dancing meant more than a just a performance. Instead, it serves as an outlet to interpret her feelings and communicate them through a succession of moves. 

“It’s always been a major part of my life,” Anna said. “It grew into a passion where I was able to express my feelings for dance, while also being able to let out my emotions. It’s a way for me to let things go. It’s almost like free therapy.”

Though Anna later moved on from practicing traditional dance to pursue gymnastics, the techniques she learned from the beginning guided her in building trust in herself. By challenging herself to dance independently, she formed a foundation of skills to block out nerves and focus on the present moment. 

“My first solo in Chinese dance, I could only rely on myself to remember the information,” Anna said. “It was a huge leap for me to be more independent and confident in myself. I’m better than I think I am. You have to shine through the criticism and judgment that you think other people have.”

Of all the different dance styles, Anna felt the most enticed by the thrill that came from rhythmic gymnastics. Though the risk of coordinating objects in the air while simultaneously completing others tricks on the floor felt daunting, that satisfaction that came from completing the trick successfully proved to be worth the risk.

“It tests your courage, because when you first start with gymnastics you’re throwing this possibly dangerous object in the air, and you have to find that courage to still push through,” Anna said. “You have to push through and still catch it. So when you actually catch it and when you’re practicing, there is that sense of achievement. What you did had an impact.”

Unlike her traditional performances at studios outside of school, dancing with the Harker Dance Company opened Anna’s eyes to a new world of dance. While being a part of the team, Anna noticed how the environment fostered by her teachers and peers influenced her performance and pushed her out of her comfort zone. 

“There’s something special about Harker dance that’s different than outside dance,” Anna said. “It’s a totally new experience. Instead of doing something that’s more cultural, or something that’s my norm, I get to explore out of the box, reach my limit, see how much I can take.”

Close friend and fellow dancer Yasmin Sudarsanam (11) first met Anna in her freshman year and quickly became close friends with her through practices and performances for HDC. She appreciates Anna’s compassionate personality and mellow demeanor, which makes conversations with her effortless.

“Anna is really kind, very empathetic, and very easygoing and flexible,” Yasmin said. “She’s not rigid in any way, really goes with the flow. She’s also one of the easiest people to talk to, you can open up to her about anything.”

In the dance room, Yasmin especially noticed Anna’s commitment to HDC and her desire to spread her love for rhythmic gymnastics to those around. Anna’s influence reached Yasmin during a dance project in class, where Anna personally introduced rhythmic gymnastics to her peers. 

“We had a teacher for a day project where we each chose a part of area of specialty and dance and taught the class a routine,” Yasmin said. “She taught us all rhythmic gymnastics. And she brought in like her props for ribbons and her balls and taught us using that which is really fun because we got to like peek into that.”

Upper school dance teacher Rachelle Haun recalls the first time she met Anna in class in her sophomore year. Despite not knowing her style and personality, Haun appreciated Anna’s professionalism and dedication to learning. 

“She takes class like a professional does,” Haun said. “She’s very quiet, very respectful and an absolute dream to teach. I will ask them to do something ridiculous, like, nobody should be able to do that, and she’ll just do it the first time and be like, ‘Oh, you know what, I’ll just do it’ because she has all of that training.” 

Focusing on branching out of her comfort zone, Anna also took notice of those around her and began appreciating the skills of her peers. The intricacies of each person’s unique dance style allowed her to advance her skills as well as her understanding of people. Dance allows Anne to communicate her own feelings but also opens a fluid conversation with others.

“Everyone is different in their own way, how they think, how they act,” Anna said. “With dance, we each have our own styles, and how we interpret things. You really have to come together as a community to find that one path where everyone is equal and on the same page.”