What’s APAing

Fusion a yearly dance event held by APA’s dance department came back with a bang on the ninth and tenth of February, combining all types of dance styles. Following MMET’s electric ELO performance, Fusion didn’t fail to maintain an electric and vibrant atmosphere that kept the audience glued to their chairs. From ballet to hip-hop, Fusion provides one of the most diverse dance shows in the Huntington Beach area, where dancers display the pieces that they have been working on throughout this school year. 

ACT 1

The first act comprised six different performances with the four ensembles each performing a piece and APA’s dance company presenting two. Big hits like, The Best Is Yet To Come, hooked the audience to their seats with its playful and joyful energy. The 24 members of this piece were decked out in formal attire that fit the style of music during the performance. “The hardest part for me with the classical wear was just getting the dress sewn to my actual proportions,” said Sandra Orr, a performer for APA dance company.

The third piece in ACT 1, Mendelssohn Concerto, displayed the beautiful artwork of traditional ballet. This work, although very traditional was extremely playful through the dance’s intricate techniques.

A highlight of the first half of Fusion has to go to the APA Dance Company’s trio performance, In The Gloom. This work played with the emotions, movements, and pathos to encapsulate the beautiful yet melancholy narrative perfectly. The music and costume design fit the facade of a classic French mime, but the choreography displayed ideas of loneliness, compassion, and loss in its seven-minute run time.

“When we each in turn sit in the chairs and rub off our mime makeup, leaving it smudged all over our faces, we lose the ability to put on a facade and our real self comes through. Working with all the props is definitely a technical challenge at times, but they really bring out the piece’s narrative beautifully.” Said Alision Conlay, a performer in the Saturday night showing of the piece.

Closing off this act was, Keepers of the Rhythm, a performance that connected the audience to the ritual of dance. The Earth-like atmosphere tied together the performance’s naturalistic vibe, which capped off an amazing first-half display of dance. 

ACT 2

Act 2 started with Boutique Amour a wonderful fusion of acting and dancing with not just the modern ensemble on display but also two members of the APA acting program. This mix of the two art forms played with a classical love narrative of two future lovers. The amazing dancing and stage design connected the viewer to the ever-so-passionate narrative that was on display by these talented performers. 

APA’s tap ensemble displayed their shining skills through the performance of You Don’t Own Me. This performance had half of the stage unused which condensed the volume of the tapping, which displayed how technical tap dancing can be especially to the rhythm and tempo of its background music. 

 “The teamwork brought the entire piece to life,” said Miriam Anh Nguyen, a dancer in the APA tap ensemble.

To end Fusion 2024 choreographers Marie Hoffman, Trevyn and the entirety of the APA dance company stunned the audience with peak performance dancing with the display of the piece, 1. Although the simple title may have fooled some viewers, 1 engulfed the audience in the true essence of what it means to dance. Being one of the longest and most Technically difficult dances, this performance truly pushed each dancer to their full potential.

“Learning 1, was one of the hardest pieces, endurance wise I have ever had to perform,” said Nguyen, wall talking about the rough nature of the dance as a whole.

1 truthfully would need its own write-up to do the work its full justice, but there is a reason why such a difficult piece was given to this specific group of dancers. “1 is by far the hardest piece I’ve ever done because it had required me to build up so much stamina,” added Orr.

Through their skill, endurance, and grit the performers capped off an amazing night with a final hoorah to the Fusion dance show.