On Saturday, March 7, Orange Lutheran will present its annual Dance Student Showcase at the Nechita Center for the Arts, highlighting talent from across the school’s dance program.

Dancers of all grade levels will represent Honors Performance Dance, Performance Dance, Musical Theatre Dance and Introduction to Dance classes, presenting a variety of original routines across multiple styles, including jazz, lyrical, contemporary and hip hop. The performance provides students the opportunity to showcase the technique, growth and artistry they have developed throughout the year.

Several of the pieces scheduled to be performed will be choreographed by students, including Honors Performance Dance seniors Layla Farzad and Emmy Ocampo. Farzad and Ocampo each choreographed two routines and were responsible for selecting the dancers as well as designing the costumes and lighting for their pieces.

“It gives them an opportunity to be creative and create their own choreography and their own concepts,” said OLu Director of Dance Jennifer Blomquist. “And if you're a dancer, you should be able to have those opportunities to take what is creative in you and place it on other students.”

Both Farzad and Ocampo came to OLu with extensive dance training in several disciplines, including ballet, jazz, musical theatre and lyrical. Farzad is a four-year dance program participant, as well as a four-year spiritleader with the Lancers’ competition song team. As a student who came to OLu with the intent to dance, the experience has been even more than what she hoped for.

“I came in freshman year, and it was probably one of the best years of my life,” said Farzad. “The dance programs here have given me the friendships I've been wanting my entire life. They’re going to last me a lifetime.”

Ocampo has participated in OLu’s dance program for four years and is a three-year competition songleader for the Lancers. She appreciates the fact that OLu offers both competitive and non-competitive pathways for dancers, and she uses her time in the studio as a way to reset and refocus.

“I think it's very important to have that kind of escape,” said Ocampo. “At the end of the day, I come to dance, and I can just breathe, set that stress aside and just be myself.”

One of the pieces Farzad has choreographed for the showcase is a jazz routine to Queen’s rock anthem “Another One Bites the Dust,” fulfilling a longtime goal of hers to create a piece set to the iconic hit.

Ocampo will bring to the stage a routine to Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang”, a contemporary piece that challenges the dancers with unique choreography.

“I really like the mysterious aspect of the song,” said Ocampo. “I felt like having a song that was a little more dark-ish allowed the dancers to use a different side of their emotions.”

Both Ocampo and Farzad experienced significant growth while navigating the choreography process, developing greater patience, leadership and confidence along the way.

“I think it’s a lot more than just dance,” said Blomquist. “It teaches you to pivot your thoughts. Sometimes things don’t work, but life is like that, so you’ve got to be flexible and pivot and have patience.”

The two seniors are grateful for how the experience has expanded their view of the dance industry, helping them see potential career paths in creative direction, mentoring and behind-the-scenes production.

“I like how we are able to choreograph dances, do lighting and work with (the dancers),” said Ocampo. “That way, we can explore what we want to do for the future, explore what we want to do beyond high school. Having this kind of opportunity really prepares you for that.”

For Blomquist, her goal across OLu’s dance program is to foster an appreciation for the arts in the students, no matter their skill level. And with the Nechita Center and a newly built dance room on campus available, she believes students have the space and support to grow both technically and creatively while experiencing the arts in a meaningful way.

“I just want them to love art,” said Blomquist. “I want them to have an appreciation for all the technical aspects that go into making dance on a stage look incredibly beautiful. The lights, the costuming, the tech crew, and so that's what the showcase is about. This place is pretty special in what it's allowing students to get the opportunity to do.”

The Dance Student Showcase is set for 4:00pm on Saturday, March 7 and tickets can be purchased at lhsoc.org/event-tickets. As Farzad and Ocampo prepare to see their choreography take the stage, they encourage everyone in the Lancer community to come see what OLu dance is all about, especially prospective students and families who are looking to make OLu their high school home.

“It's a very entertaining show,” said Ocampo. “I came in eighth grade to the dance showcase, and as soon as I watched it, I just fell in love. I knew that was what I wanted to do in high school.”

“You can see everyone's choreography and what they've been working on for the past six months,” added Farzad. “We've worked really hard, and I think it would be great if people could come and appreciate what we’ve been working on. If you're an incoming freshman, and you're still deciding on OLu or another school, I think this showcase would show you that OLu has so much to offer in the performing arts program.”