A flurry of skirts and stretches, toes tapping rhythmically in anticipation and an electric atmosphere of pure creativity was practically tangible in the austere space of what was simply the auditorium. Then the lights went up, bathing the stage in a constant spotlight, and a hush blanketed the crowd as the young dancers began their choreography.

The dance program held a dance concert on October 16 in the auditorium for Dance Company, IB Dance, Oak Break Krew, Advanced Dance and Dance 2. They held this event to show off their moves so far this year.

“It’s the 2015 Choreolab to showcase what we’ve worked on this year so far,” Fayla Curry, creator of Klein Oak Dance Company, said. “This is a very special event. For some students, it’s their first time performing in a concert like this and for others, it will be one of their last times in a Klein Oak performance.”

The concert had students performing in every aspect of dance, and incorporated a richly diverse and manifold spectrum of creativity. There were routines of lyrical and emotionally moving scenes, like a piece called Litost, but also fierce and attention-grabbing pieces that anyone watching couldn’t tear their eyes away, like a piece called Yonce.

“We chose the song Firestone by Kygo to dance to. It’s a contemporary piece and we tried to make it as ‘flowy’ as possible because the song itself is really slow. I’m super nervous to perform, but I feel like once I get on the stage I won’t be. When you get up there, it goes by so quickly and you can barely see the people in the crowd so it’s alright,” junior Rifa Momin said.

Yet the concert wasn’t just to showcase what these kids have learned so far this year; for most of them, this was an opportunity to express themselves wholeheartedly and not care what people think. Because with certain actions come certain judgements, and for these students who yearn to dance, those judgements don’t mean a thing.

“I started dancing in 8^th grade, and from there it grew into wanting more, I craved more. My love for dance grew. It’s like a puzzle piece, it’s the puzzle piece I was missing because it fit perfectly. I can express myself and it just felt right for me. Dancing is something I practice day and night, I watch videos, I read articles and it’s something I want to be a big part of me. When people think of my name, I want them to think dance,” senior Cesar Gordillo said.

Dance isn’t just a hobby in the eyes of these young individuals, it’s a key that unlocks the door into their exclusive future. Concerts like these reinforce the notion of self-expression and unique human eccentricities. It doesn’t matter who they are or where they came from, in dance, what they bring to the table and how they make themselves heard is all that matters.

“Dance is something I work at, but it doesn’t have to be just dance that you can express yourself in. If anyone loves or is into anything that is looked down upon, they shouldn’t throw away that talent or that dream they have just because people think it doesn’t match who they are. It’s what you love to do, and don’t ever stop doing it,” Gordillo said.