Love is in the air

Belles perform for a last time under the leadership of program director and founder Cindi Denman. The seventh period and after school show captured the theme: “Love is in the air,” filling the stage with Valentine’s Day colors.

“[Spring show] is the chance for the team to perform all of our competition dances and ensembles for our friends and family,” junior Allyson Nguyen said.

The performance included a series of kick, drill, and contemporary routines split between the varsity and JV teams.

“We were jumping so high,” senior Social Officer Caroline Vestal said. “I could feel the energy buzzing around me.”

The palpable excitement on-stage resonated with audience member Esaam Zaman.

“At the end when they were jumping and celebrating, it looked like they were having a lot of fun,” Zaman said.

Whereas most dances were organized by officer position and team, in one combination, current and future officers got the chance to perform together.

“I liked that next year’s officers were included in the dance,” Nguyen said. “It shows that this year has been really successful.”

Like every spring show, the team closes another chapter in Belles history as seniors make their departures and the new additions file in. However, along with this batch of graduating Belles goes Denman.

“I have loved every day with these sweet girls,” Denman said. “Seeing Belles from the past and now seeing their children is a wonderful experience and memory.”

In 1989, Denman revised the original Belles, which was a drum and bugle corp., transforming the team into the modern dance program. Thirty-five years later, Denman celebrates her last end-of-year show before retirement.

“[This year’s show] was amazing, and I loved the theme,” Denman said. “What a way to go out, ‘love is in the air.’”

With one director on maternity leave and the other retiring, dancers had to work more together this season than ever before. While officers directed rehearsals, everyone worked to bring this production to life.

“The entire team feels very close, and we’ve improved a lot and we put in the work,” Nguyen said.

Although Belles is a competitive dance program, it prioritizes sisterhood and friendship among its members. The Big Sis Little Sis program, where veteran Belles partner up with first and second-year Belle’s, fosters friendship across grade levels and dance experience.

“I am going to miss my bond with everyone on the team, [Belles] was like a sisterhood,” senior Lieutenant Colonel Alani Kao said.

At the end of the dance, all the senior Belles went on stage with shirts showcasing the universities they will be attending this fall.

“I’m really going to miss the seniors because they make up a big portion of the team,” Nguyen said. “So it’s going to be really different without them next year.”