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Dancing Through the Disco Decade
Courtesy of Sage Hill School
Dance students celebrate a breakdance routine at a dress rehearsal for the 2024 Spring Dance Showcase in March. By Katelyn Yeh
Sage Hill’s dance program recently presented the 2024 Spring Dance Showcase, “Dance Fever,” bringing over 75 students to dazzle audiences in the Kazu Fukuda Black Box Theatre. Through the choreography, music and costumes, the dance show highlighted defining moments of the 1970s, such as Roe v. Wade, Watergate, Apollo 11 and other historical events. The event was partially choreographed by students in partnership with Dance teachers Sydney Smith and Taleen Shrikian. “Ms. Smith and I had a lot of fun dreaming up this whole Dance Fever 1970s theme, and it was actually a theme we decided on all the way back in August 2023,” Shrikian said. “We started brainstorming what types of music and cultural events and historical moments
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we wanted to include and that inspired a lot of the choreography for the show.” A fan-favorite performance was “Watergate,” which was choreographed by Shirikian and performed by Dance III, the second highest level of dance after Synergy. Dressed in blazers and dress pants, the dancers captured the audience’s attention the second they marched on stage with their briefcases. At first, the stage seemed like a jumble of business suits, but the dancers separated, revealing their roles as either part of President Richard Nixon’s team of aides or law enforcement. Their choreography reflected the conflict, ending with the government handcuffing Nixon’s aides. The seniors performed the last dance of the night and their last dance with Sage to music by the “Queen of Disco,” Donna Summer. This dance was inspired by the disco phenomenon Summer, one
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of the most admired singers during the disco era. With the joyful music, upbeat choreography and the unbeatable emotion that exuded from the stage, this final dance was one of the most memorable ones of the night. Throughout the past four years, the team bonded and improved together, forming unbreakable bonds. “Dancing at Sage has truly been an incredible experience. I have made some of my best friends through the dance program, and it has been the privilege of a lifetime to share the stage with such talented and wonderful people,” said Sophia Sun, senior dancer and teacher assistant of Dance I. “This dance show was so much fun. Opening ritual fully allowed me to experience a different dance culture,” sophomore Isaac Alegria said.
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April 2024 Volume 22, Issue 6 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Director Tapped to Open Middle School By Phoebe Pan
Sage Hill School has revealed the next step toward making its middle school project a reality. In anticipation of the middle school’s tentative 2026 opening, Dr. Joseph Moody was recently named as Director of Middle School after a nationwide search. Dr. Moody currently serves as Head of Middle School at the Lovett School in Atlanta, Ga., and is slated to join Sage’s leadership team in July. He was inspired to take on the position because he was excited to have the chance to “build something from the ground up.” “It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop curriculum, watch a building being constructed, [hire] teachers and recruit students,” Dr. Moody said. Dr. Moody’s extensive career in education and 14 years of experience in a middle school setting made him the right fit for the position, Head of School Patricia Merz said. “He has experience working directly with this age range of students, and he knows what it takes to build a middle school program that will succeed,” Ms. Merz said. “To him, an exceptional middle school education will focus not only on curriculum, but also on social-emotional and character development.” Dr. Moody joined Lovett as an eighth grade science teacher in 2010. He then served as Dean of Student Life and Assistant Head of Middle School for Student Life before becoming Head of Middle School. Dr. Moody has also coached wrestling, football and track. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology at Presbyterian College and a master’s degree in Psychology and doctorate in Educational Psychology from Walden University. Though the current high school and middle schools will be mostly separate, both Ms. Merz and Dr. Moody emphasize that the schools will be unified under a single “Sage” culture. According to Dr. Moody, this culture will include the “Six Cs,” which are a main part of Sage’s curriculum and high school experience. “The core value of community will play a key role. A sense of belonging and interconnectedness among students, faculty, staff and families will be fostered. We will be one Sage Hill 7-12,” Dr. Moody said. Sage Hill’s administration already cleared a major hurdle when the Newport Beach Planning Commission approved its middle school application last December. For the time being, Dr. Moody will work alongside Sage’s current senior administrative team to develop the middle school curriculum, while also serving as one of the main representatives in upcoming fundraising and outreach campaigns. He will play a key role in gaining support for the school and in bringing new families into the Sage community, Ms. Merz said. “Our team is very excited to get to know him better in the coming weeks and cannot wait to welcome him officially this July,” Ms. Merz said.