Curtain Call: What’s Twirling Through the Dancers’ Minds

Redwood’s annual dance show is taking place on April 25-27, showcasing their Icon-themed performance. Students in all different groups of dance will be participating in this event.

By Ella Chan and Piper Figallo

Many dancers at Redwood are looking forward to this end-of-the-year show.

Brianna Wyman, ‘26, who is in Intro dance gives insight on the content that will be seen during this year’s show.  

Wyman says, “The theme of the dance we are going for is dirty dancing, so there is a lot of old-fashioned music.”

To prepare for this thrilling dance, the class goes through the dance a couple of times and then works on the things they need to improve on.

Wyman says, “The most challenging part of preparing for the show would be dressing out fully in the dresses for the dance because it is a big transition from just our regular dressing out.”

She adds, “I think also at first learning the dance is challenging, but we started to practice a little more and get comfortable with it and you just feel more confident with it.”

Wyman elaborates on the confidence needed to put on a performance and says, “I really feel like a goal for me is to just have fun and be confident with myself because I know I will have fun if I just am not nervous and not overthinking it.”

Wyman is looking forward to her loved ones watching the show. She says, “I am excited to have my friends and family watch me perform because we have been working on it for so long, so I think it will be a super fun thing for them to see especially since I am in Intro and have never done this before.”

She adds, “I think my parents, especially my mom would love to see the performance.”

Regarding how she feels about performing, Wyman says, “I am more excited than anything. I feel like there is going to be nerves before the show but now I am just excited because I have friends in that class, and dancing with people that you really like to hang out with builds that confidence and excitement.”

Kwyn Bruce, ‘26, is a member of the intermediate dance class. She was inspired by her older sister’s passion for dance to join the activity herself. She will be performing in their icon-themed dances including a country icon and fashion icon. 

“We’ve been working on all this since before winter break and it’s going to come all together really good,” says Bruce. She looks forward to her performance of the country icon dance, getting to combine dance groups and overall execute a great performance alongside her team.

Bruce says, “I’m really excited, it’s going to be really cool,” and hopefully she can reach her goal to “just get all the moves rights!”

“Preparation for the show is kind of chaotic, but it’s worth it at the end because it ends up looking very nice, very put together!” says advanced dance member Nyah Camaquin, ‘25.

For this year, Camaquin will be performing in; Advanced Lyrical, Advanced hip-hop, Advanced tap, and Advanced Jazz.

Like Bruce, Camaquin joined dance after watching family members perform so passionately with dance. “What inspired me [to join dance] was seeing my cousins be in the dance program here and for dancing so long in a studio I just wanted to be involved in school and dance is one of those.” She says.

She is very optimistic about this performance, saying her goals, “are to have fun and live my life like no other!” Camaquin adds, “I’m looking forward to making more memories and cherishing that moment with the seniors, especially since I’ve gotten closer with them over the years.”

Although Camquin says she’s nervous about the show, she knows she has to pick herself up, pull it together, and put on a brave face. She knows that in the end, she’s going to have fun and it’ll turn out great. 

Intro to dance member, Yoselin Reynoso, ’25, expresses how she feels about the show.

Reynoso says, “I am looking forward to the performance and being able to do it in front of an audience, so it is just pretty exciting.”

Reynoso gives insight into the obstacles of preparing for such a big show and says, “I think the most challenging part is that I have never been in a performing art like this, and doing it in front of an audience.”

She adds, “I am excited for it but it is kind of scary having to memorize the whole dance and the timing.”

Reynoso says, “I just hope to remember the whole thing and really just give energy into the performance.”

BJ Wainwright, ‘24, is in international dance and will be performing in multiple dances at the show. He will be seen in a Mission Impossible/Tom Cruise dance and a Country Cotton Eye Joe dance with intermediate and a Justin Timberlake one with Dance Force.

The dance classes at Redwood have been preparing for the show all year, so they have got a lot of practice.

Wainwright says, “The first dances in our show are the ones we learned the first part of the year and then as we progressed with the dance show, we are doing the dances we have worked on more recently, but we still go through all of our dances.”

He adds, “For the extra dances I am in that are not dance force related, I have to go after school during 5th period or during the extra time we get during Monday mornings.”

Wainwright, along with many other dancers, has put in a lot of time and effort for the show.

Wainwright is excited to showcase the dances he has learned, and he is really liking the Cotton Eye Joe dance.

Wainwright says, “The girls are dancing to a Blake Sheldon song, and then I look up and do the Cotton Eye Joe, and I do a little heel click and then lasso in the dance group.”

He elaborates and says, “It’s a pretty silly dance, and it is super short too, but it will be pretty fun at least because I will have a weird solo and wear some cowboy boots and jorts. If that’s not a good reason for people to go to the dance show, I don’t know what is”

Wainwright is excited for the performance and says, “Really all I am expecting this show to be is just fun. What matters to me most is having a fun time and just going out there with my friends and dancing.”

Tags: arts & entertainment, dance, rangers, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, visalia ca