Westwood Dance Dazzles Audiences At Escapade Spring Show
April 4, 2022
SunDancer social board President Jessica Hao ’22 gets lifted during Escapade. The team was sorted into split groups to perform in either a slow routine or fast routine.
Bella Friedrich ’22 busts a move during ‘Hollaback,’ a routine performed by the SunDancer’s HipHop group. The crowd went wild as the large ensemble dazzled the stage.
Warrior Pride concludes their routine to an ABBA mashup. Featuring many dancers and skills, Pride stood together for their last dance of the night.
SunDancer Newbie Lizzie Williams ’24 strikes a pose during her Newbie dance to ‘Be Our Guest.’ Williams is a new member, as well as a SunDancer manager.
Sophie Steinhauser ’22 steals the show during Warrior Pride’s Escapade performance to ‘Lost.’ Steinhauser is a three year senior and pride leader.
SunDancers and Warrior Pride, alongside the Westwood Dance Department, dazzled audiences at the annual Escapade spring show on Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2 with their stunning moves, expert choreography, and clever music choices. The theme was Vibrance, and the energy of the show was certainly vibrant. The auditorium was abuzz with excitement as each different ensemble took the stage. The first song and dance was an expertly choreographed piece set to Supercut by Lorde. The high energy and complex choreography set the tone for the rest of the event, which delivered fantastic performance after fantastic performance.
The SunDancers captivated the audience, showcasing a full range of talent that proved their astounding versatility. They excelled at both full group numbers and small trios, as evidenced by the spectacular performance by the SunDancer Senior Lieutenants. Though their moving routine only utilized three dancers, the movement of Bella Friedrich ‘22, Shiying Su ‘22 and Tiffany Phu ‘22 was just as powerful as even the largest group numbers.
“Dancing in Escapade as a senior was super special,” Friedrich said. “Knowing that this would be my last time to perform with my team made me take in every moment of the performance. It was such a fulfilling experience to show the public all of our hard work and put on a show that we [were] are all collectively proud of.”
The styles and tones differed from song to song, from the vibrant SunDancer hype dance to the moving and modern SunDancer Line Officer routines, all the way to the lively and ecstatic Westwood Cheerleader performance. Warrior Pride dazzled with a joyful medley of ABBA hits, recontextualizing their classic songs in a fun, modern context.
“Warrior Pride is a really welcoming community and I love having the opportunity to show the work put into this program during Escapade,” Cleo Steinhauser ‘24 said.
Alongside SunDancers and Warrior Pride, Westwood’s Academy Jazz II class performed Come Alive, a Broadway number with larger stunts that contrasted the pop and hip-hop song selections of other performances.
“Performing in Escapade made me feel alive,” Selena Molinari ‘24 said. “The dancers around [me] encouraged [me] to reach beyond [my] boundaries for bigger movement. It was a beautiful experience.”
Interspersed between the various dances were informative announcements that revealed the meaning behind the routines. In addition to Westwood dance and jazz students, SunDancer parents also performed to a medley of songs, clad in bright tracksuits. The Canyon Vista and Grisham Dance teams stunned the audience with fantastic routines during the Friday and Saturday shows, respectively. In a heartwarming moment, audiences were treated to a SunDancer alumni dance at the conclusion of a large number that showcased the various departments. The two performances overall were a great success, providing entertainment and reminding us of what it means to be human through the power of dance.