Northville Varsity Dance Company's 15th Annual Performance

Northville High School Varsity Dance Company is celebrating 15 years of dance, love, family, and friendship with their fifteenth annual performance on Friday, February 11th, at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The annual performance will showcase the diversity and creativity of the Dance Company through solo and group performances featuring professional choreography, student choreography, and a piece by its alumni. The dance genres of jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and contemporary will be represented

Carly Siracusa Carlin, the Dance Company's Artistic Director says there is a special meaning behind the theme of this season's annual performance. “If you had asked me to describe the current state of the dance company in one word, I would tell you: united. We now have this beautiful unity as a team and as an organization, that we have never had before. Our bond, our love for dance and for each other is stronger than ever. We are united and we are doing what we love: thus, United We Dance was born.” She adds, “It is no accident that we would come into this beautiful space as we celebrate our 15th year. We all felt this same sense of unity since day one and we realized how special this team and this season would be. We said “This is Our Year” and it couldn’t have been more true.”

This is Siracusa Carlin's 12th year choreographing for NHS Varsity Dance Company and her 11th as artistic director, head choreographer, and coach. Born, raised, and trained in New York City, her love of dance started at a young age and she went on to become an accomplished dancer and award winning choreographer.

The Dance Company's fifteenth season will always be special to Siracusa Carlin. “I have never been more proud to be part of this amazing organization and dance family. I am beyond proud of my dancers, and us as a team. We crushed every challenge and obstacle and had so much fun and laughter while we did it. There isn’t anything we can’t do together.”

The Leadership Team of Captains for the Dance Company’s fifteenth season is its Senior Class of 2022 – Ashley Ford, Sammy Rice, and Racha Wakim. They each shared their experience with the Dance Company, better known as NHSVDC or VDC. Rice says “VDC is fun and offers many opportunities: from performances to building friendships.” Ford adds, “It has also helped me make friends with people who also shared the same interests as me. I would highly recommend for dancers in high school.” Wakim loved her three year experience with the Dance Company. “Being part of this dance company has given me the opportunity to pursue expression and beauty through movement and imagination.”

The Dance Company has 15 dancers on the roster for their fifteenth season. Each have different and diverse backgrounds in dance, which is one of the many reasons why the Dance Company is so unique. Bringing all of their talents together, the Dance Company has performed in the NHS Fall Pep Rally, NHS Homecoming Parade, NHS basketball games, and the Northville Lighted Parade. The annual performance will complete the Dance Company performance lineup for its fifteenth season.

Student choreography, one of the most unique facets of the Dance Company will be featured in its fifteenth annual performance. Senior & one of the team Captains, Racha Wakim will be marking her second year as student choreographer. She states, “As a student choreographer, I was able to make my imagination reality in the beautiful art form of dance.” The remaining seniors and team Captains, Ashley Ford and Sammy Rice as well as Junior, Maddie Luebkert, and Sophomore, Rebeca Calderon will make their student choreographer debuts and complete the student choreographer team for NHSVDC’s fifteenth season. Calderon explains, “Student choreography is all about finding a song that has personal meaning, creating a dance that expresses who you are as a person, and then having others be part of your story.” Ford adds, “Dance Company helped me be creative by letting me, and others, create our own dance pieces.” Student choreographers work closely with NHSVDC's Artistic Director, Siracusa Carlin to perfect their pieces for the annual performance. Rice loves the aspect of student choreography that the Dance Company offers and really loved her experience. Rice explains, “It’s amazing to see what you’ve imagined in your head come to life. It’s a great opportunity to be creative and get experience being a choreographer.”

The annual performance will feature solos performed by each of the Dance Company's seniors. The Class of 2022 is represented by the team Captains Ashley Ford, Racha Wakim, and Sammy Rice. Ford will also be celebrating her fourth year on the Dance Company. She adds, “Over these last four years I was able to grow my passion for dance and form amazing friendships.”

Tickets for "United We Dance" will be available for purchase prior to the start of the performance at the NHS Auditorium Box Office beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 each.