And a five, six, seven, eight… With the chilly wind and cooler weather, comes fall and the coolest traditions of them all, the annual Intersection Dance Performance. Taking on the spotlight on Tuesday Oct. 28, dance classes from Grisham Middle School and Canyon Vista Middle School joined high school jazz students from levels one through five on the stage to showcase their progress from the beginning of the year. 

Presenting their talent at the Raymond E. Hartfield Performance Arts Center (PAC), students got the opportunity to perform in front of a crowd, anticipating an entertaining show for which they were not left disappointed. Like every year, the dance routines and engaging music left the audience with an appreciation for the arts that have built a very distinguished reputation of Westwood dancers.

“It’s a great performance opportunity because as you go on, you get less nervous about performing and that helps you be the best dancer that you can be,” Audriana Cornwall-Flowers ‘29 said. “It’s a really fun experience to perform in front of a crowd and to do it with other schools [too] is even better.”

Intersection pairs a variety of dances like modern, contemporary, pop, and more, with an assortment of appealing songs to the audience made for a pleasant experience for both performers and spectators. Performing popular songs like Soda Pop from K-Pop Demon Hunters and Houdini by Dua Lipa, Intersection’s creative ensemble of flashy costumes and colorful stage effects makes next year’s performance highly anticipated.

“The expensive lighting adds more [to the performance] and it’s really nice to showcase all our skills with good [stage] effects,” Lily Gewelke ‘26 said. “I loved experiencing being all together and showcasing all of the dance moves we’ve learned.”

Inspiring the next generation to dance, such performances bring attention to a widely-appreciated sport that participants use to express themselves and grow as an artist and athlete. Coming to see their older siblings, younger family members got a free experience to see what the dance world is all about. 

“[Our younger siblings] see boys and girls dancing on stage and then they might be inspired to do this type of dance too,” Vandya Agarwal ‘28 said. “They got to see everyone dance really well and grow more and more confident as the show went on.”

“[Intersection] just shows your willingness to get on the stage and maybe you are uncomfortable, but it almost brings you out of your shell and ends up showcasing your powers,” Gewelke said. “We showed the audience how it is to perform so beautifully through all ages and all genders.” 

Westwood Dance students will take on the spotlight again at their Escapade Performance on Friday,  March 27 and Saturday, March 28  at the PAC.