DVHS athletes continually push themselves to reach standards set in the sports world. Some athletes juggle multiple extracurricular activities, such as dancers who dance competitively as well as participate on the song team. With support from teachers, coaches and their passion for performing drives them forward.
DVHS Song is the school’s main dance team, whose goal is to provide spirit at school events such as football and basketball games. It is considered as a fall sport as well as a winter sport and was established in 2015.
Dahlia Ajina, a senior who has been in the dance program for four years, decided to join the Song team this year, following in a friend’s footsteps. Ajina has been dancing since she was three. She previously competed in lyrical and jazz styles. Her recent withdrawal from competition didn’t stop her from showing love towards dancing.
Similarly, Aisla Villareal, a junior, has been dancing since she was three. She has been a part of the dance program and the song team since her freshman year.
“My sisters did both teams, so I kind of just followed in their footsteps, because I think they both have a really strong community,” Villareal said. “I have really strong friendships on both teams and I love what I am doing so it’s a great combination to keep going.”
Rasika Bankar, decided to join Song and Dance as it was an opportunity to continue something she had loved since childhood. Prior to joining, the only type of dance she had been exposed to was Bollywood, so joining these teams allowed her to expand on what she knew. She says that despite not having technical dance training, she still wanted to learn everything she could.
While these teams provide an outlet for dancers to express themselves, their packed schedule can be very demanding. When juggling school work, college apps, early morning Song practice, dance rehearsals and outside activities, stress and pressure are very common. As time progresses, practices for both teams become longer and more rigorous.
“We have dance every day at school and in the morning we have Song practice, where we need to wake up at 5 a.m.. Rehearsals on weekends can sometimes go from ten in the morning to two in the evening,” Ajina explained.
“It is insanely exhausting and definitely puts a strain on your sleep schedule. I find myself getting less than 5 hours of sleep on many nights. The lack of sleep and constant physical activities do affect the way I perform at school sometimes, just because I can’t focus due to how tired I am.” Bankar said.
At times like these, athletes remind themselves of the reason why they joined the teams and their passion for dancing.
“Sometimes, when I get extremely stressed during busy parts of the year, I try to think, ‘ I am doing this for the amazing experience and for the opportunity to do what I love, or remember that I will look back on this proudly with so many memories from being involved with the school.” Bankar comments.
Instructors for both teams are also willing to accommodate their multiathletes in both the Song team and dance class. For instance, the Song coach sometimes gives their athletes days off when they have after-school practice.
For these athletes, despite the struggle of juggling both sports, being on both teams have created some of their favorite memories over the years.
“On both teams, especially Song, I am known for falling a lot and it has become this sort of joke,” Villareal said. “For dance, my favorite moments have been during dance show rehearsals. They get pushed out late because people are always procrastinating, so those days leading up to the show have the most memorable parts every single year that I have been on the dance crew.”
Being in their last year of high school, seniors have come to realize that college dance will be very different from high school. In high school, dancers have more freedom to experiment, a flexibility that is not always available at the college level, where they either go pro level or join clubs.
“There is not a lot of freedom to choreograph and experiment like there is in high school dance, so I try to make the most out of it. I also just love what I do and the feeling of being on stage or in front of the audience and sharing your talents with everyone else.” Bankar describes.
As a senior, Ajina has spent many years on the dance program.Her first two years were spent in Dance 3 and then she tried and got into Dance 4. Progressing through these levels, her skills and mindset helped her grow. As a freshman she often felt overwhelmed by the fast pace, but over time she discovered that practice made it manageable. Dancers also work on expressing emotions, making storytelling an important part of performing.
“I have to give the show my all. But sometimes, some dance pieces require certain types of performances. Emotions are very important,” Villareal emphasized. “I really like to combine dancing and acting together because I think it really emphasizes the piece and puts on a better show.”
Ajina encourages other Song members to join dance, highlighting the supportive environment.
“The atmosphere is great and most people who are in Song are also in dance, who are amazing people,”Ajina said. “Mrs. Altman is also such a great teacher. Sometimes dance in studios can be very competitive, but here the atmosphere is not at all like that.”
