3..2..1.. ACTION! On the night of Friday December 9, 2022 the Rio Mesa Dance Program held their annual winter show.  With a variety of dancers ranging from the beginner class to intermediate all the way to the advanced dance team, they were able to draw in some big crowds for their two showings!  The 7:30 PM showing in fact was so crowded that many audience members had to sit on the floor to watch, which didn’t seem a problem as the production of the show was plenty enough to keep them distracted.

So, what does a dance show have to do with movies? Each routine was inspired by a song or theme from classic movies.  We were given the pleasure of speaking to four year advanced dance member and dance club officer Lina Solis to ask her about her experience in this year’s winter dance show.

“I really enjoyed the theme of this year’s show!  I would have to say my favorite dance was the James Bond one. I love contemporary and creating characters, so that was really fun for me!”

Memorizing a number of dances and having to perform them with an audience staring back at you can seem pretty nerve racking.  Considering Lina has been performing in the annual dance shows since freshman year, the nerves weren’t as high this time, but she did find some dances more challenging to learn than others.

“I would say the hardest dance to learn was either the Harry Potter dance or Fame. Both of those dances were very different, yet equally challenging.” 

While Lina found relief at the end of the dance show when all of her and her teammates’ hard work had been accomplished, she also found herself realizing this was her last dance show at Rio.

“It was really bittersweet considering I love performing at Rio, and it was sad to think that it was my last show at school, but I am still really excited for the spring show at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center.”

The spring dance show is typically a big hit in the Rio Mesa community as the dancers get the chance to perform and show off their hard work from the year on a real stage in an auditorium.  For seniors like Lina, it will be their final goodbye to high school dance.

Make sure to stay on the lookout dates for the Rio Mesa spring show!  If it is anything like 3,2,1, ACTION, you won’t want to miss it!