On December 13, 2024, community members chose to spend their Friday evening in the SHHS auditorium, watching the collection of performances Dance Haven prepared over the last few months.

The student-run club did not disappoint, and members proudly showcased their hard work and skill for loved ones.

The night’s program opened with a moving contemporary piece to the song “I Love You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams. The production overall included lots of modern hits, such as “Lavender Haze” by Taylor Swift, “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey, and “Feather” by Sabrina Carpenter.

Senior hosts  Ella Liberi and Silla Prown kept transitions lively, amusing the crowd with their witty humor and skits. In fact, at one point in the show, the duo shocked the audience with a flash mob to the “Cotton Eye Joe.”

Sophomore Leah Reece found this past semester one of Dance Haven’s most successful yet.

“Winter 2024 was definitely one of my favorites so far,” Reece said. “Everyone this year was so kind. It was really organized, and help from Ms. [Valerie] Szeliga was really helpful.”

Science teacher Ms. Valerie Szeliga recently took up the role of Dance Haven adviser after Mr. John Shankweiler retired last year. 

One of the club’s main focuses is allowing everyone to dance and try out different styles, regardless of skill level.

“I’ve never really professionally danced,” sophomore Sophie Browne said. “I feel like a lot of the people have, so everyone’s just really nice about it, and everyone’s always trying to help people get better.”

Dance Havens’ three leaders, senior Sydney Williams and juniors Norah Magargee and Orli Schoff contributed to many of the night’s pieces. The trio even choreographed their own performance of the song “Ribs” by Lorde. 

With the club almost entirely student-run, leaders shoulder responsibility for keeping the club organized and operating smoothly. Williams notes that despite many after-school conflicts, she is proud of how the team showed up and found time to rehearse and prepare.

“It’s really hard to make time, so I’m really impressed that everyone was able to get their dances together and just get it on stage and ready to perform,” Williams said. 

Overall, Dance Haven members felt a sense of accomplishment at their dedication and were happy with how the community turned up to witness it.

“I’m really proud of everyone who put all their time and effort and weeks into this,” junior Thandiwe Jemwa said. “It was worth it.”