From May 31 to June 1, the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts (APA) Dance department held its annual end-of-year mainstage show: Synergy. The performance showcased a variety of different styles and choreography that dancers in the program worked on throughout the school year.
Claire Zabaneh, director of the APA Jazz Ensemble, said “Synergy is a connection of all different dance styles into one glorious show of talent. From Ballet Ensemble to Modern Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble to Tap Ensemble, the array of dance genres is vast. [The] APA Dance Company is a culmination of all genres.”
Taking from the 1980 Broadway musical “42nd Street’s” original choreography, Synergy opened with a tap number performed by various APA students—specifically from the musical theatre and dance programs. The first half of the show included seven pieces from all five APA ensembles (Tap, Modern, Ballet, Jazz, and Company), such as the “42nd Street Opening Number”, the classical Russian composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Sleeping Beauty”, and “Takeover” by Modern Ensemble, all of which impressed the audiences.
Geneva Longheyer, Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) sophomore and member of the APA Tap Ensemble, said, “The hardest part was making sure we were all hitting everything at the same time all together. It was important in making sure we all had the same look, style, and timing. That’s what made the number easy, but we always managed to get so close to getting it right.”
Another highlight from the first act was “Sleeping Beauty,” which featured Tchaikovsky’s classical ballet of the same name. Choreographed by Brande Dunn, the dance was filled with graceful and lyrical movements from the Ballet Ensemble, the performance had a unique touch to its storytelling, and the dancers represented fairies granting wishes to the baby princess Aurora.
Following the ballet piece, Modern Ensemble showcased their piece titled “Takeover,” choreographed by ensemble director Marie Hoffman. The sequence brought elements of contemporary dance—such as floor action and lifts—which were meant to mimic the action of battle or war.
During the second half of the show, “Don’t You Worry,” performed by APA Modern Ensemble, choreographed by Hoffman. This piece engaged the audience with the story of synchronized dancers witnessing one of their members drowning in water. As the other swimmers fall into the same situation, their costumes change from regular swim attire to red suits, symbolizing their struggles to come back to reality.
For the show’s finale, APA Dance Company came together to perform their energetic and stunning segment of “1,” choreographed by Hoffman and guest choreographer Trevyn Stephenson. The segment included intense and complicated technique and movements that required all the talent in the seniors. Although it brought a great challenge for the upperclassmen, their final APA performance was something for them to be proud of.
Not only was Synergy the last APA performance of the school year, but it was also the last chance to perform for APA dance seniors.
“They’ve trained extensively over their four years; Synergy is their last moment to have their high school accomplishments celebrated,” Zabaneh said.
Ruby Brown-Bilyeu, a dancer for the APA Ballet Ensemble said, “what I love about performing Synergy is the preparation process; it’s been very fun for Ballet Ensemble and the choreography is fun when putting it all together on stage.”
“I love seeing everybody from choreography as well as getting to do it with my friends from musical theatre and dance,” said Cameron Mullin, a performer for the APA Jazz Ensemble and HBHS sophomore.
In the end, Synergy became a success not just to audiences, but for the hard-working dancers who put endless dedication and effort into the performance they delivered. If you missed this year’s show, there’s always next year’s to go to!
