You are attending your first dance show. You are trying your best to hold still onto your seats while you anticipate what lies behind those deep mysterious curtains. The same seats you are sitting have been sat on by previous students before you and so on, like history. The stage either grows light or dim, you never know what to expect. There is this excitement that engulfs you into this endless void of movement from the dancers.
By: Andy See
You see these dancers and performers on stage, not really thinking about how they got there at that point. There is more than meets the eyes when you see them and there on stage. These students are not just performers and dancers on stage perfecting body movements. There’s also this journey that these performers and dancers experience behind the stages. They have a happy family connection between each other that makes the magic happen on stage.
Mrs. Bardonnex is the International Dance choreographer and teacher at Redwood High School. She has a lot of experience with different kinds of students, excited to see how they evolve as dancers. She has a variety of students that she is always eager to work with because it means that she is able to see all the different ways students can connect with each other.
International dancers learn a lot of choreographies in different genres and styles. Mrs. Bardonnex hopes to implement some cultural dances in her dances every year although it can not always be that way. She tries to always make sure that they do something different.
Bardonnex says, “So in international dance you learn partner dancing… We always do some sort of Latin dance and we try to put a cultural piece in every year although it doesn’t always happen.”
Bardonnex also says, “But sometimes we try different genres and then you basically learn the structure of dancing because we have beginners all the way through highly trained dancers in there… So we kind of mix it around and do some harder things and we learn tricks.”
Her favorite part of international dance is being able to put all her kids’ hard work onto the stage for everyone to see and appreciate. The hard work her students put into being able to learn a dance and having the composure and confidence to bring everything on stage makes her happy.
“It’s actually really fun connecting with the kids and then this time of year like starting today we go to the theater, and we get to watch the kids perform. Things they worked on all year, it’s really rewarding to see it and how hard they worked.”
Her dance class allows for students to communicate and work with each other to resolve complications in dance choreo. Students do things differently than others, let it be how well they learn a choreo or how they work with another student. Dance class should also be fun for the students.
Bardonnex says, “Actually the joy I have is when they get to the theater and they get to perform… Some of them are very shy and very quiet, and this is where they get to show their personality in different ways.”
“Seeing all the kids and getting to know them and watching them have fun. Just being able to connect and learn different things about different people.”
There is a dance community at Redwood high school. There are a lot of students that love to dance and work together. Some also love dancing because it is a way to express themselves. Students continue to join dance because the dance community is a safe home for them to go to and connect with other dancers.
“Well obviously you get kind of a little community here. We have a lot of students, and you get connected to an art, and if you love dancing, it’s super fun for you just to get like a trajectory on the styling to what we teach to you. It’s really fun, and internationally you meet.
Bardonnex adds, “It’s kind of like a little family, we get to know each other. It’s a huge class, we have 60 students plus like 5 TA’s, so there’s 65 students in there. We have a great time.”
Matthew Bartolo, ‘24, is a dancer and a teacher’s aide for Mrs. Bardonnex’s international dance class. He has a strong magnetic attraction to dance, being able to express his emotions freely through body shapes and body language. Dancing is more than just a sport to him, it is a way to connect with his friends and his audience.
He is a TA for a dance teacher he has worked with and respects a lot. He tries his best to help students in the class, and he appreciates being able to meet new people. He has TA’d for other dance classes in the past.
Bartolo says, “It’s so much fun being a TA! It gives a different experience to each dance class! It’s also fun being able to create new connections with the dance teachers that you don’t get in any other class!”
This is actually Bartolo’s first year in International Dance. He chose his senior year to be part of International Dance because dance force allowed him to only be in International Dance for one year. He has been involved in a lot of the dance classes at Redwood.
Bartolo says “I’ve been part of four dance classes total. Last year I was in Hip-Hop and Advanced Dance and this year I am part of Hip-Hop, Dance Force, and International…”
His dedication truly shows in the way he dances. He puts all of his heart and soul into every movement. He is able to convey the emotions he feels with the audience. His highschool experience revolves around dance.
He has had some of his fair shares of struggles in International Dance. It is not easy being a performer and a dancer on stage. Preparing a dance number is very time consuming, and you would have to learn everything very quickly. It is even more difficult to then have it look good on stage.
Bartolo says, “Preparing for dance show especially for international has been a very difficult task. The dances are very fast and have very interesting visuals that we spend a lot of time practicing and cleaning…”
Bartolo also says, “I just want to add that if you watch dance show, know how much hard work and time was put into it. It’s never easy to get 30 plus dances done however we always try our hardest with every aspect.”
Even with all of the hardships the dance crew has faced, the crew is able to see the good in all of it. The positive influence and attributes of International Dance outweighs all of the negatives.
Bartolo says, “…However it’s also been such a fun experience too as I have met so many new people from international itself from the partnering to the collaboration for certain sections of our dances.”
Evan Galley, ‘24, is a dancer in International Dance at Redwood High School. He has been part of Redwood’s international dance class for the majority of his highschool years. He sees the class as something he will continue to cherish outside of highschool.
“I’ve been in International Dance for 3 years and that’s the only [dance] class I’ve taken.” says Galley
International dance has been an exciting roller coaster for Galley. He is able to dance and have fun with friends in his dance class. He has had a lot of exciting moments in international dance, but the most exciting and memorable part of his dance journey is performing with friends at the dance shows.
Galley says, “The most excited part about international has been the dance show as it’s a fun week and everyone gets to perform what we have practiced all year.”
He says, “I think everyone should consider taking international. You don’t have to know how to dance as a boy and you can join with a bunch of friends to make it fun.”
Yes, dance can be very daunting, tiring, and stressful at times, but a small smile with friends can change everything. International Dance is a class where all the students can connect with each other and be happy together. The class is more about working together than having to be perfect.
Even if there are only a few weeks left of school, Galley has a lot of things he looks forward to seeing. Dancing to him is very exciting and there’s always something new to learn and do.
Galley says, “The last few weeks of dance I’m looking forward to performing in the dance show and then getting to just have fun as a class and with my friends once the show is over. We usually play a lot of games and just have fun as a class.”
This fun and excitement can’t always last. This year is Galley’s last year as a dancer in International Dance at Redwood High School.
Galley says, “It’s sad knowing it’s my last year because all my friends are in the class and we’ll all be leaving next year.”
The dance chapter in Galley’s life is coming to an end, but he will never forget the times he danced with his friends. But he is ready to move on in life and do bigger and greater things.
Mikayla Duran, ‘24, is another student of Mrs. Bardonnex’s International Dance class. She has been part of International Dance for half of her highschool journey and this year will be her last dance class at Redwood highschool. She has made so many unforgettable memories with her friends in this dance class.
Duran says, “I’ve only taken international at redwood and this is my second year doing it.”
This being Duran’s last year at Redwood, she has made a lot of memories since then. She will miss her friends and the joy she found in dance class. She will always remember this day as something she will never forget. This part of her life is very special to her.
“It’s definitely really sad, I’m so glad I got to experience something so fun. It will definitely be something I miss about redwood.”
There are a lot of exciting and memorable moments within Duran’s two years in International Dance. She loves being able to dance in front of people she loves. For her last dance show, she aims to make the audience proud with her dance.
Duran says, “Most exciting and memorable for me was definitely the dance show last year and getting to perform in front of my friends and family, which is a huge part of why I’m so excited for this week.”
There are still a lot of things we should anticipate for the last dance show. What Duran looks forward to the most for these last couple of weeks is to show the audience the time and work she has put into her dancing that prepared her for that moment on stage.
Duran says “I’m looking forward to finally showing everyone what we have been working on all year! And getting to experience dance show week one last time as it is such a fun time of year for us.”
There is one last dance show to look forward to. There are a lot of dances Duran is excited to show her audience. She wants to share some of her favorite upcoming dances that people should look out for.
Duran says, “We have a really fun Barbie dance that I think everyone will really love and a few other dances inspired by other icons!”
“Yes we also have a dance inspired by John Trevolta.”
Students interested in dance should consider joining international dance. It has been a thrilling adventure for Duran. She encourages students who have a passion for dance to join International Dance.
Duran says, “Not really just to definitely join international! It’s so fun and Mrs. B is an awesome teacher and it’s definitely going to be missed by us seniors leaving this year.”
Andy See
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