Welcome to this year’s Valley Christian High School Emotions, Pop Icons. Together we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Dance Department here at Valley Christian! It has been a pleasure to lead this Dance Arts program for the past 10 years, creating artists and mentoring the next generation is a humbling gift! God has truly blessed us with tremendous talent, steadfast students, fantastic faculty and guest choreographers, a wonderful community of parents and supporters, large scale growth and continuous development to share our ministry.
This year we have decided to focus on Pop music and artists that have moved us emotionally and yes physically! At the core of our everyday experience of pop music, we use it to relax, express ourselves, come to terms with our emotions, and generally improve our well-being. It has evolved into a tool for healing and self-expression, often dictating how we, as individuals, take steps to impact society.
The energy and joy that we as a dance community have while in the studio and creating together is what we hope you feel! It is a tremendous privilege to share our passion that is meant to get you moving, grooving and enjoying the ride!
Emotions is a unique opportunity for student choreographers to experiment, create and develop choreography for and with their peers. This year we showcase over 17 student choreographers who have put in the hard work to make a fabulous night! We are so excited to have our choreographers and dancers share their talent and passion on the stage! This journey began early in January, through a four-month mentoring program. I would like to thank our faculty mentors who have guided them along the way.
More Thanks:
• I would like to take this moment to thank my cast for their hard work and the blessings that they bring to this community.
• The amazing technical crew, who work tirelessly to put it all together!
• The choreographers who developed, nurtured and created pieces that will leave a lasting legacy to our Department.
• Finally, to my Seniors who have changed the tapestry of our community, left their mark in such wonderful ways and will continue to bring glory to God in all that they do!
As artists we seek to add something into our community that did not exist before. Something of value and purpose that shed light on God’s goodness. God has called each of us to share our talents and lift one another up in life, that involves risks and hardships along the way, but is sustained by faithfulness and growing hope. It is our sincerest wish that within our production you will be challenged, encouraged, and inspired by God’s purposeful journey.
Peace & Love,
MCDirector..................................................................... Michelle McLaughlin
Assistant Director.............................................................. Colette Evans
Technical Director................................................................Keaton Miller
Lighting Design...................................................................... Jason Kuzia
Stage Manager........................................................................... Jeremy Le
Vocalist.................................................................................. Sienna Oliveri
Production/House Manager...........................................Colette Evans
Backstage Manager.........................................................Alison Erisman
Assistant Backstage Manager............................................ ..Keya Shah
Light Board Operator ............................................................Kayla Chau
Sound Board Operator...........................................................Heena Kim
Running Crew...........................................Daniella Brady, Kayla Lewis
Faculty Mentors ............... Kim Brown, Colette Evans, Nigel Shum
Costume Mistress ..................................................................... Kathy Risk
Opening Song Medley - Sienna Oliveri
Lift me Up by Rihanna, Break Free by Ariana Grande, I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston
Emily Luong
I chose James Bay as the artist for my piece because I grew up listening to his music. In fact, I was introduced to his work with this very song. Many years ago, at my elementary school talent show, two people at my school sang this song as a duet, and I immediately fell in love with the lyrics and melody. Since then, I have loved his work, and I wanted to dedicate my Emotions piece to him. To me, my “Hold Back the River” dance is all about finding the little joys in life and each other, and I hope my dance does justice to this beautiful song and artist.
Song title/Artist: Hold Back the River by James Bay
Dancers: Minhui Bartels, Estella Chen, Shiyu (CeCe) Gu, Taye Jones, Katya Kuzmenko, Elaine Wang, Lucy Xie
Brooke Johnson
Bruno Mars has transformed the music industry through his captivating performances and generally upbeat music.
Song title/Artist: Nothing on You by B.o.B and Bruno Mars
Dancers: Asha Durga, Brianna Garcia, Rayne Johnson, Jordan Jones, Zeruiah Kim, Ethan Li, Joanna Tan, Molly Tedeschi, Cathy Tran
Rebecca Rebello
I chose Coldplay as my icon because I have always loved their music so much and I am so inspired by the messages in their songs.
Song title/Artist: Clocks by Coldplay
Dancers: Taye Jones, Emily Luong, Rhys Mcintyre, Camryn Portera, Rebecca Rebello, Allie Roderick, Jessica Rogy, Mia Suzuki
Courtney Pacheco and Evangeline Trigg
We chose Florence and the Machine due to their powerful songs and emotion-evoking artistic decisions.
Song title/Artist: Never Let Me Go by Florence and the Machine
Dancers: Courtney Pacheco and Evangeline Trigg
Program
Angela Yu
Stray Kids is a K-POP boy group created in 2018. They’re known for releasing “noise music” but regardless, have gained a large fan base since then because of their unique sound. Red Lights isn’t quite like their usual music, as it was produced by a sub-unit within the group and explores a deeper, darker concept. I interpreted this song as the idea of being suffocated and held back by something unknown, and more generally, being stopped by red lights.
Song title/Artist: Red Lights by Stray Kids
Dancers: Kayla Abaya, Rosaleen Chang, Alice Duong, Suhyun (Julia) Han, Maya Hsian, Zali Smallcombe, Zara Smallcombe, Sarieli Sribhashyam, Angela Yu
Understudy: Katya Kuzmenko
Kaitlyn Barck, Taye Jones, Camryn Portera, Jessica Rogy
We chose Adele as our pop icon because she’s known for her soulful, emotive voice and traditionally crafted songs. She was named “artist of the decade” in 2010 and still continues to reach No. 1 on billboard a whole decade later.
Song title/Artist: Love in the Dark by Adele
Dancers: Kaitlyn Barck, Shiyu (CeCe) Gu, Taye Jones, Rhys McIntyre, Camryn Portera, Jessica Rogy
Sienna Oliveri
Better When I’m Dancin’ by Meghan Trainor
Asha Durga, Ananya Maheshwari, Jiya Vidhani
We chose Katrina Kaif as our icon. She represents the feminine aspects of Bollywood and advocates for natural beauty and women empowerment. She additionally advocates for children with cancer and other communities. She is an iconic dancer and when any South Asian hears the song Kala Chashma, they will think of Katrina Kaif.
Song title/Artist: Kala Chashma by Amar Arshi, Badshah, Neha Kakkar, and Indeep Bakshi
Dancers: Hannah Bitter, Dylan Chang, Rosaleen Chang, Asha Durga, Brianna Garcia, Eleanor Garlic, Arushi Gupta, Aubrey Heath, Sanya Kondapalli, Breanna Lee, Ananya Maheshwari, Roshni Mohapatra, Vivian Pham, Catherine Sandoval, Sarieli Sribhashyam, Joanna Tan, Vaishnavi Tatipamula, Molly Tedeschi, Jiya Vidhani
Program
Savannah Hooks
The Irish singer-songwriter reached stardom after the release of his 2017 album that went #1 on the Irish and UK charts. His music crosses several genre Pop, Rock, and Contemporary folk music.
Song title/Artist: Better Days by Dermot Kennedy
Dancers: Vivid Dance Team, Estella Chen, Allison Chen, Shiyu (Cece) Gu, Maya Hsian, Sharis Hsu, Katya Kuzmenko, Emily Luong, Rebecca Rebello, Ava Suzuki, Mia Suzuki, Melinda Wong, Lucy Xie
Shiyu (Cece) Gu
I chose this song and icon because I want to show that sometimes it is okay not to conform to pop culture or what is popular, and it is okay to be yourself and pursue what you like. I think Billie Eilish’s songs are a great inspiration and convey an important message to block out negativity, judgments, and gossip as what matters most is our own opinion of ourselves. Through my dance, I would like to pass on the story of how someone can be affected by negativity and the result of the hidden side of pop culture.
Song title/Artist: Not My Responsibility, You Can See Me in A Crown, My Strange Addiction by Billie Eilish
Dancers: Kayla Abaya, Rosaleen Chang, Shiyu (CeCe) Gu, Suhyun (Julia) Han, Taye Jones, Emily Luong, Camryn Portera, Allison Roderick, Zali Smallcombe, Zara Smallcombe, Sarieli Sribhashyam, Angela Yu
Sienna Oliveri
What a Feeling by Irene Cara (Saturday only)
Sharis Hsu
I chose this artist to highlight how pop icons go against the grain to create new and unique pieces. While pop icons change in every era, they are always eccentric and unconstrained in their creativity. With this piece, I hope to demonstrate how pop is constantly subject to change, and while occasionally uncomfortable, it opens new doors of artistry.
Song title/Artist: Honour by Black Hydra
Dancer: Sharis Hsu
Ekaterina Kuzmenko
Nao is an English singer-songwriter and producer that revolutionized electronic rock. She was the youngest of 5 children in a Jamaican household and spent her late teens as a music teacher. So far, she has received multiple nominations for her work and even coined the phrase “wonky funk”. As the younger generation we too need to continue working towards our goals. Just like Nao, with hard work and perseverance, we can achieve greatness.
Song title/Artist: Orbit by Nao
Dancers: Minhui Bartels, Hannah Bitter, Shelby Chipman, Suhyun (Julia) Han, Maya Hsian, Katya Kuzmenko, Xiangting Ren, Catherine Sandoval, Angela Yu
Adrina Hsieh
I chose this icon because she has a very powerful voice that can tell a story. It inspires movement and holds a lot of emotion. Piece by piece really stood out to me because it inspired me to create my dance based on having hope and building back up in pieces with others.
Song title/Artist: Piece by Piece - Idol version by Kelly Clarkson
Dancers: Shiyu (CeCe) Gu, Adrina Hsieh, Emily Luong, Elaine Wang
Gwen Lundgaard and Rhys McIntyre
We chose P!nk because she has been in the music industry for years influencing pop and breaking barriers; inspiring many young girls and always advocating for what she believes in. For audience members, we believe P!nk makes music that is the perfect blend between catchy and meaningful and we hope that the audience will feel immersed in the show.
Song title/Artist: What About Us by P!nk
Dancers: Alice Duong, Ekaterina Kuzmenko, Xiangting Ren, Melinda Wong, Lucy Xie
Jasmine Mason
Björk is Iceland’s first celebrity. She is iconic for her quirky and unique style. She achieved overseas fame as a singer, songwriter, composer, record producer and actress.
Song title/Artist: Unravel by Bjork
Dancers: Shiyu (CeCe) Gu and Mia Suzuki
Allie Roderick
I chose this song because it is a great way to tell a story and connect with the music.
Song title/Artist: Ode to a Love Lost by Finn Ronsdorf
Dancers: Maya Hsian, Katya Kuzmenko, Emily Luong, Hailey Mac, Rebecca Rebello, Allie Roderick, Ava Suzuki, Melinda Wong, Angela Yu
Sienna Oliveri
You Belong with Me by Taylor Swift
Rosaleen Chang and Suhyun (Julia) Han
Popular culture often provides us with a sense of shared identity and belonging. It has shaped and continues to mold many teens as they grow to discover and express their own identities and passions. Ultimately, we hope to celebrate the positive impacts of pop culture that has encouraged us to understand ourselves as well as others in a deeper way.
Song title/Artist: DNA by Kendrick Lamar and Coming in Hot by Andy Mineo
Dancers: Rosaleen Chang, Shelby Chipman, Asha Durga, Brianna Garcia, Shiyu (CeCe) Gu, Eleanor Garlick, Suhyun (Julia) Han, Rayne Johnson, Breanna Lee, Ananya Maheshwari, Roshni Mohapatra, Joanna Tan, Jiya Vidhani
Understudy: Luna Han
Alice Duong and Adrina Hsieh
We choose Michael Jackson because he embodies a fusion of several dynamic styles that brings excitement and enthusiasm.
Song title/Artist: Beat It, Smooth Criminal, Billie Jean, Thriller, PYT, and Rock with You by Michael Jackson
Dancers: David Bai, Kaitlyn Barck, Caden Carlson, Litong Deng, Alice Duong, Brandon Guven, Nick Hardt-Mason, Adrina Hsieh, Taye Jones, Katya Kuzmenko, Ethan Li, Rhys McIntyre, Camryn Portera, Samuel Tang, Elaine Wang, Melinda Wong, Lucy Xie, Max Zhuang
Understudy: Jessica Rogy
