![“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)
A kaleidoscope of lights illuminates the backdrop, and pulsing beats reverberate through the Patil Theater as dancers leap and twirl across the stage with precision and energy. In one act, performers clad in flowy blue dresses lift frosh Emy Keyhan into the air gracefully, while in another, dancers jump into formation, hitting each beat with fervor and crisp movements.
Student dancers from grades four to 12 took the stage in a sequence of tightly choreographed routines for the annual “Just Dance” production on Friday. The show featured twelve numbers from upper school Kinetic Krew (KK) and Harker Dance Company (HDC), middle school High Voltage and Showstoppers and lower school Dance Fusion.
“We created ‘Just Dance’ so the parents who don’t get to see all our other performances have a space to watch their kids dance,” dance teacher Rachelle Haun said. “I don’t get to see all these dances either until tonight. Seeing what’s going to come up in the next couple of years is always really fun.”
The teams performed pieces from earlier events like Harker Day and the dance production, incorporating a variety of styles ranging from hip-hop to contemporary. High Voltage opened the show with an energetic and rhythmic hip-hop routine to a mashup of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” and the Pac-Man theme song, followed by HDC with a contemporary lyrical piece that incorporated elegant movements and emotional storytelling.
KK captain Nikhil Sharma (12) emphasized the effort all dancers put into their routines and the opportunity the event provides to showcase their work.
“Throughout the entire school year, we’ve been working towards [Just Dance],” Nikhil said. “It’s been an ongoing process, but these past two weeks we’ve been cleaning over and over again. It’s the culmination of everything over the entire year.”
Sophomore HDC member Ava Ding delivered intense movements and facial expressions in an evocative solo to Lara Fabian’s “Je Suis Mon Coeur,” which also won her second place in the 10th-grade category at the “West Coast Elite” dance nationals at Long Beach. Afterwards, Showstoppers stepped onto the stage in glittering green bodysuits and head wraps to perform an upbeat number to the “Legend of Zelda” theme song. Passing a heart plush down a line of dancers during the dance, the group further invoked the game’s adventurous essence and added a playful element to their routine.
KK then donned red and green shirts and beanies to represent Mario and Luigi from “Super Mario Bros’” and used blocks forming a Bowser statue as props. Substitute teacher and former HDC member Sofia Fernandez (‘21) reflected on her experience watching the dance.
“When I was younger, watching the older dancers really inspired me to keep going, learning and getting better at dance,” Fernandez said. “I know that the current students who are a part of the dance program, no matter how old or how young they are, will inspire the other kids to want to continue or even start dance. I got flashbacks of when I was here in high school, so it was really nice taking a trip down memory lane.”
Sophomore KK member Kayvion Cruz performed his self-choreographed solo to Shop Boyz’ “Party Like a Rockstar,” full of sharp body isolations and vibrant facial expressions. Following his act, the other dance teams returned to the stage for their second routines with a sequence of diverse routines that showcased new styles of dancing.
For the seniors’ final performance, Haun honored Nikhil and seniors Venus Perkins and Demitri Ajlouny with a brief speech at the end of the show. Showstoppers, High Voltage and Dance Fusion members delivered flower bouquets to each senior in celebration of their career coming to a close.
“It’s exciting for the seniors, and you can tell they’re having fun because it’s their last performance, but then it hits you,” Haun said. “The last Kinetic Krew routine, ‘Dirt,’ when they were all dancing at the very end, I was mostly looking at the seniors because it’s the last time that they’re performing as a team.”
For Nikhil, the final moments were filled with emotion and nostalgia and marked the last time dancing with the schoolwide teams across grades.
“The realization of my career coming to an end is gradual, but it is sad,” Nikhil said. “I really love this team — they’re all such funny and amazing people. Every year [the performance] has gotten better, so it’s been so much fun. I’ve been doing it for the past five years, and every year everyone looks forward to this performance because it’s really cool to see all the people, and we’re all really supportive of each other.”
