Tech crew and dance teachers move quickly through the Patil Theater, making final adjustments just days before the Upper School Dance Production. Dancers rehearse intently, running through each movement in their minds. Amid the focused energy, senior Sonia Yu and her teammates share a brief moment of levity, playfully chasing each other with a piece of string on stage, an easy laugh in the midst of the whirlwind around them.

“My favorite part about being with my dance team is just those little moments we have,” Sonia said. “In between runs, we’ll goof off sometimes. It’s having a group of people that understand you really well and care for each other. It’s great when we all move together, but even when we’re not not moving together we still have that bond.”

At the age of four, Sonia set off on her dance journey with a “Mommy and Me” class. Fueled by her love for the art, Sonia moved towards competitive dance two years later, joining Silicon Valley Dance Academy where she practiced Chinese dance.

At the studio, her teachers placed a heavy emphasis on technique and flexibility, allowing Sonia to develop her skills but leaving her restricted in her style. Instead of promoting free movement, the focus on measurable success in the form of trophies and competition placement brought high expectations and rigid standards. 

Entering middle school, Sonia moved to Dance Academy USA, where she continued to dance competitively. Ultimately, under increasing pressure from both dance and academics, Sonia joined Harker Dance Company in ninth grade, rediscovering the joy in dance in a liberating and empowering environment.

“Dance is my favorite way to express myself,” Sonia said. “When I’m dancing, I really don’t care what’s happening around me. I can perform at my utmost potential and really let all my emotions come out.  It’s different from day-to-day life when sometimes I have to censor myself in a way, but when I’m dancing I can completely let myself go.

Ever since her first experiences in dance, Sonia has approached every movement as an opportunity to explore herself. This mindset drives her determination and vigor, whether she is tackling a complex routine or an intimidating trick. Close friend and HDC teammate senior Maya Affaki expresses her awe at Sonia’s unshakeable tenacity.  

“You should see the bruises that she gets on her arms and her legs because she just goes for it,” Maya said. “There’s no hesitation, she’ll try it, and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But she’s got this incredible, toddler-like ability to just get back up and keep going.”

With her all-out mentality, Sonia has become a role model for her teammates, not just through her skill, but through her infectious joy for dance. Striking poses with a brilliant smile across her face, Sonia’s sheer enjoyment is obvious as she performs. Sophomore Hannah Jiang, who dances with Sonia on HDC, appreciates Sonia’s motivating spirit.

“In dance, she’s always the person who gets the choreography down; she’s always the person that’s doing it full out,” Hannah said. “I really admire her energy. She’s definitely helped me improve a lot. Every time I see her dance, it makes me really happy and I dance happily too.”

Upon stepping into the dance room, Sonia, with her decade’s worth of experience and dynamic expression, sets the standard for her younger teammates. Having taught Sonia since her sophomore year, Harker Dance Company teacher Jill Yager recognizes Sonia’s positive impact on her peers.

“Sonia gets everybody around her to step up and inspires younger dancers,” Yager said. “Sometimes they don’t know when they come in, what they can do and what their potential is. If you’re dancing next to somebody like Sonia, you all of a sudden go, ‘Maybe I can’ or ‘That can be my future if I work like Sonia.’”

Sonia’s success in dance stems from her devotion to her craft, whether it’s on the stage or in the wings. Finding joy in the hushed conversations behind the curtains rather than under the spotlight, Sonia appreciates the little moments, an attribute that surfaces in her other hobbies as well.

Similarly to dance, Sonia took up art as a mode to discover and connect with her identity. Dabbling in a variety of mediums, from charcoal to digital, Sonia found this new form of art to be a private escape from the pressures of other aspects of her life. With a preference for oil painting, Sonia opts to create out of her own volition, rather than within the confines of competition guidelines or other art critics. 

“For oil painting, I really like the attention to detail and the patience you need for it,” Sonia said. “It dries really slowly and you have to find a way to layer on the paints to add shadows and highlights. When you look at it up close, it looks really messy. But then when you step back, you see the whole picture and it’s really rewarding.”

While Sonia’s first pieces fell short of her expectations, she continued to practice, eager to produce work that she could be proud of. By zooming in to each minute intricacy and disregarding her preestablished expectations of the finished result, Sonia learned to push past her doubts.

“My last piece had so many little details, and when I first saw the reference photo, I didn’t know if I could do it,” Sonia said. “But once I started going, and really focused in and told myself, ‘Wait, this isn’t that hard. I can do it, and I have the skill sets for it,’ I was able to make it my best art.”

Sonia’s unyielding determination perpetuates across her life, not only pushing her own boundaries, but also encouraging those around her to reflect on their own work ethic. By throwing herself at every opportunity and absorbing their every feature, Sonia relishes in the intricate, patient process of creativity.

“I’ve always been really creative and continuing to have that outlet, whether it be dance or art, it keeps that core value strong,” Sonia said. “All the art forms I do have shaped the way I see the world. I see it through a very artistic lens and I’ll find beauty in the tiny things that some people miss.”