Dance the days away

Jeff Benson

While many Newport-Mesa students were catching up on sleep, shopping

or just “hangin’ out” over the holiday, Corona del Mar High School’s

“Orchesis” dance program was busy preparing for its biggest annual

shows.

Instead of a day off, the girls rehearsed synchronized dance steps

and learned about staging, props and the different lights used in

their performances.

“We light every number in the show and we have a lighting designer

that teaches us the lighting that goes along with each movement,”

said Orchesis co-president Cassidy Preston, 17.

Orchesis will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at

Huntington Beach High School. The group also plans to run through its

show several times today and Wednesday when school gets out.

The students are getting a good feel for the industry through

their rehearsals and performances, said Corona del Mar dance director

Cami Marseilles. Besides the ability to execute difficult technical

moves, many college dance programs now expect students to have a feel

for lighting and props, she said.

“I’ve never worked with such hardworking girls,” Marseilles said.

“They’re very talented, and they exceed my expectations.”

On Monday, they were introduced to poles of light, which can

illuminate the face of a single dancer, and booms, or side-lighting.

A boom’s lowest lanterns are also known industry-wide as “shin

busters” because dancers have a tendency to run into them,

instructors said.

The students have choreographed 14 of the 16 numbers they’re using

in the show, with styles ranging from Broadway musicals to jazz to

contemporary. They rehearsed their first number, “Let Go,” Monday,

assimilating slow twirls, extended limbs and sultry movement with

spontaneous bouts of high energy.

“You put your soul, your life and everything you have into it,”

said co-president Christina Fulcher, 18. “In dance, you release every

emotion possible.”

In addition, the girls prepared artistic videos for each dance and

assigned some of them to mythological characters to carry the overall

tone. The videos introduce technology to the performance and will

precede each dance in the upcoming performances, Marseilles said.

“They’re taking their vision into making the final product,” said

video producer and senior Chris Reilly. “Some of them were very

intense and serious, but there were also some that were fun and

humorous. It’s amazing to see their talent.”