![“[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)
Professional dancer Davarria Ford instructed a jazz funk masterclass, open to all students, on Aug. 29 in the dance room.
Ford taught a routine to a remix of “1 Thing” by Amerie that he had co-choreographed with a friend. While offering detailed technical advice, he encouraged students to add variations to make the steps their own.
“He gives us a lot of freedom to choose what we do with the moves,” attendee Jennifer Liu (11) said. “He told us to ‘melt’ between moves — you have a lot of control and a lot of time to find your feeling in the moves. He gave us a lot of opportunities to see how he does it and then find out how we want to do it ourselves.”
To help students practice, Ford organized the class into small groups and offered individualized feedback on technical nuances, like pausing for emphasis and contrasting textures, demonstrating how careful adjustments can change the emotional impact of a dance move.
Senior attendee Venus Perkins shared her takeaways from the workshop.
“Tell your story through your dance,” Venus said. “Whatever the message is supposed to be, do whatever it takes to portray that to the audience. You want them to feel what you’re feeling. Your facials and overall vibe can match what the dance is supposed to be.”
Originally from the Bay Area, Ford earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from San Jose State University, where he was one of dance teacher Jill Yager’s students from the class of 2022.
While living in the Bay Area, Ford danced with the modern company seymour::dancecollective and competitive hiphop team Syndicate. Now based in New York City, Ford specializes in hip hop and jazz funk and performs with Gotham Dance Theater, a Queens-based contemporary and street dance company creating socially engaged theater, and with Camille A. Brown & Dancers, the troupe led by acclaimed choreographer Camille A. Brown. He shared his experiences creating original choreography based on his time both working with renowned professionals and as a self-taught dancer.
“Listen to whatever music makes you feel really good, where you’re like, ‘this is motivating me, this is inspiring me,’” Ford said. “Make choreography to music that you really enjoy because then it comes naturally. You’re already grooving — take the groove and see where else it can go.”
