‘ArreiS’ back in the theater at Newport Harbor High
A return to normalcy for a performer means the opportunity to be back on stage.
Members of the Newport Harbor High dance program are relishing that chance this week.
Newport Harbor is back to performing in the theater on campus for the first time in three years. The annual “ArreiS” (pronounced “Array-is”) show opened Wednesday night, with shows continuing nightly at 7 p.m. through Saturday.
Newport Harbor dance director Jamie Tanzer said this is the first on-campus production since 2019. The dance team was set to perform in March 2020, but the onset of the coronavirus pandemic curtailed those plans.
Last year, a modified “ArreiS” show was performed on campus at Davidson Field, after the production trained outside on handball courts all year, according to Tanzer.
“As a dancer, obviously a theater feels like your home,” Tanzer said. “It’s what you’re used to using, and I think all of the kids are pretty pumped to have some normalcy back. I think just getting to bring the community together again is something that I’m really looking forward to. It’s live art again, right?”
Tanzer said about 150 students are involved in the production, which is in its 24th year. The skill levels range from beginners in her Dance 1 class all the way up to members of the dance team.
The dance styles in the show are also eclectic, from contemporary to jazz to musical theater to hip-hop.
“We want to take the audience on what I would say is an artistic journey, going through a lot of variety,” Tanzer said. “We don’t have a theme with the show, but we do videos in-between dances. This campus is super-based on inclusion, and I think that’s a big thing I try to accomplish with the program.”
It is a younger Newport Harbor dance team that is taking on this year’s production. After graduating 12 seniors last year, the program has just one this year, co-captain Bella Salerno.
Gia Ancone, a junior, is the other co-captain on the dance team.
“Although we have a young team, all 15 of us are incredibly dedicated and have heavy experience,” Gia said in a text message. “Being the new generation of dance team members has bonded us to rise up to the standard set by prior teams and carry their legacy forward. It has also challenged us to make our own lasting contributions to the Newport Harbor dance team.”
Dance team members practice up to six hours a day year-round to get ready for the “ArreiS” performance, Tanzer said. The show’s name — which is “Sierra” backward — is a tribute to the late Sierra Soto, the daughter of a former dance team advisor. A dancer herself, Sierra was 4 years old when she was hit by a car and killed while playing with her friends in 1999.
The show goes on, all of these years later, but everyone involved is happy to have it back in a more familiar setting.
“The show is going to be absolutely amazing,” Gia said. “The talent on this team is like no other, and the coaching and production value are top notch. We have a wide variety of styles and genres of innovative and cutting-edge dance that appeals to all ages. Our mission is to entertain and connect to our audience in a compelling way, and we are absolutely thrilled for the opportunity.”
Tickets for “ArreiS” are $12 for students and children and $15 for adults and are available at the door.
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