Portola Dance Company Brings the ‘Heat’ to Welcome Back Rally

Annie Xiao and Nicole Ferguson

Dance Company captain and senior Zurie Tran dances to “Move to Miami” by Enrique Iglesias. For Tran, performing is just one part of what Dance Company does at school events. “As Dance Company, part of our job is to make sure that we’re cheering for everybody,” Tran said. “We make sure other people know how spirited we are, so we can show we have that Portola pride.”

Rallying into the new school year with a bang, Portola High’s annual Welcome Back Rally invited students to the new school year on Aug. 29. The rally was complete with performances from Dance Company, Varsity Cheer, choir, color guard and band.

With just two weeks to restage the piece instead of the usual three weeks, Dance Company had limited time to prepare. Captains and seniors Makaela Phiri, Cassidy Zalameda, Chloe Thompson and Zurie Tran collaborated to adapt “Move to Miami,” choreography originally learned during the USA Dance Camp for the basketball court, adding ripples, levels and formations to enhance the visuals of the piece, according to Phiri.

“When we did the dance at camp, you’re performing to one audience, and you definitely have more limited space because you’re in a conference room,” Phiri said. “When you’re restaging it or trying to put it on for a school performance, you have to face both sides for certain parts of the dance. That way, the freshmen [and] sophomores also get a chance to see us.”

With some choreography inspired by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading team, according to Thompson, Tran said the routine was later tailored after Dance Camp to highlight Dance Company’s strengths. Choreography can look different depending on the dancer’s personal style; however, good choreography ensures that all dancers can keep up with it, and requires the dance to be clean, according to Zalameda.

“When figuring out choreo, we really take into account everyone’s strengths and weaknesses,” Zalameda said. “So we’re placing people in formations, we see who has what tricks and their facials.”

Communication is essential for establishing a cohesive team spirit and collaborating to create the routine. Before going into practice, the captains communicate their plan and divide the responsibilities for the dance team. A key goal for the captains, especially in pep rallies is to entertain and engage the audience through the piece, according to Thompson.

“We go for an entertainment type of dancing for our crowds, especially since we know that [the audience] aren’t dancers,” Thompson said. “We want you guys to be entertained and just love watching it.

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About the Contributors

Annie Xiao, Staff Writer

Annie Xiao is a staff writer for her first year on the Portola Pilot. When Annie is not worrying about failing EM2 and AP HUG, she can be found in the dance studio pursuing her passion for Chinese Dance or racking up an astonishing screen time on Instagram reels. Annie identifies herself as a huge foodie and loves sipping on the occasional matcha latte while enjoying all sorts of delicious asian cuisines. This year, Annie is really looking forward to making lasting connections within the Pilot community!

Nicole Ferguson, Staff Writer

Nicole Ferguson is a staff writer for her first year on the Portola Pilot. When she isn’t with her friends, she plays flag football, which she joined this year and enjoys. Other times, she is working at the martial arts studio that she attends (helping with the younger kids). Some of her home hobbies are reading and listening to music. She really hopes she can contribute to a plentiful amount of eye-catching stories this year.