Culver City Dancers Shine in Spring Showcase: Color in Motion

For three nights straight in March, students and supporters of the arts filled the Robert Frost Auditorium, coming together to see Culver High’s 2026 Spring Dance Concert. Culver City High School students performed 22 works inspired by the theme, Color in Motion, choreographed by students and guest choreographers. The night featured pieces performed by daytime dance students, AVPA’s One Body Dance Company, and the CCHS Dance Team, who all put in immense amounts of effort and preparation for the event. 

The rehearsal process for Color in Motion began in January, with dance students rehearsing every Friday and putting in countless hours of work to create, learn and clean up their pieces. Choreographing for and performing in an AVPA dance concert is no small feat, as students must prepare, memorize and perfect each piece they are in—with most dancers being in several works—on top of regular academic classes and a rigorous dance schedule. 

Many dancers stepped into the role of choreographer for the first time, with 16 student choreographed pieces total, meaning that they had to learn how to create an interesting choreographic work, to manage a rehearsal, and to lead in a creative environment. While working with a large amount of people and material isn’t easy, the rehearsal process was described as “difficult, but really rewarding” by one student choreographer. 

The effort put into the show was evident when the first dancers stepped onto the stage and began showing off the skills they had learned through  numerous dance pathways. Each piece brought something different to the show, as each choreographer interpreted the theme a different way. “Every piece is different, every choreographer has something different they want to get across to the audience,” said Karlyn Avila, a junior and Co-president of AVPA School of Dance. 

The variety in tone, technique, and message across the works was refreshing, but most of all the energy and individuality each dancer brought to the stage was what made the evening a highlight of this year’s AVPA events. 

After speaking with many of the performers, it was clear that being a part of dance at Culver High is about so much more than creating and learning dances together. When asked what the best thing is that dance has given her, Avila said that the program gives her more than just performance opportunities and creative freedom, but the confidence to get up on a stage and be vulnerable in front of hundreds of people. Many dancers responded similarly to the same question. “I feel like I can really get out of my comfort zone, and stop hiding,” said another student in the showcase. 

Many choreographers took the theme of Color in Motion literally, with fast paced, colorful and energetic works featuring large ensembles, but these pieces were balanced by several more reflective solos and small groups.

AVPA Dance co-president Grace Yang choreographed and performed a moving solo set to Prince’s “Purple Rain.” She said that she was inspired by the lyrics to the song, and tied the message of her solo to what she felt as a graduating senior: leaving behind high school and transitioning into adulthood. Yang has been a member of AVPA School of Dance since her freshman year, and “Purple Rain” is the final piece she will be choreographing for the company. When asked about how it felt to take her final bow with One Body Dance Company, Yang said, “Of course it’s sad to be leaving dance. It’s my life. I’ve met so many people, and it’s really what brought me out of my comfort zone.” Her solo echoed this bittersweetness perfectly and was full of sweeping legs, expressive musicality and the repeated motif of outstretched arms towards something just out of reach.

The program finished with Until We Meet Again, a contemporary work by CCHS dance director Carol Zee. A small ensemble composed completely of seniors, dressed in all white, danced to Johan Sebastian Bach’s iconic Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. An AVPA music student, freshman Madeline Chung, played the piece live on the stage in a collaboration between the AVPA Schools of Dance and Music. The piece felt more classical in music and technique, with dancers performing more balletic steps than in other contemporary works in the showcase. Until We Meet Again felt like an appropriate close to the evening and a meaningful sendoff for the many seniors who brought a significant amount of passion and dedication to the dance program at Culver High. 

AVPA Dance’s Color in Motion brought out the best parts of Culver High’s arts programs, through the collaboration of AVPA schools, the passion and grit brought to the stage by the dancers and, most of all, the community that formed around creating art together. If you missed Color in Motion, make sure to check out the School of Dance performance at “Java Gala: Celebrating 30 years of AVPA” on Sunday, June 7.