“If you have elbow or knee pads, now’s the time to put them on,” said De Anza College’s dance instructor Warren Lucas.
Students from the dance workshop class practiced on stage to an eerie string instrumental song with a gruff voice singing over the top of it chanting, “There’s a ship. There’s a ship.”
Some dancers moved close together to sway side to side in an effort to suggest a rocking ship stage left, while a few others danced stage right.
“Point those toes and turn!” Lucas followed them across the stage shouting out cues and corrections.
These dancers are practicing for the upcoming dance production called “Spirit House Dances,” a show with a mix of ballet, jazz, hip-hop and modern style dancing.
The dancers are excited to be the first set of students to perform in the newly built Visual and Performing Arts Center. Prior to VPAC’s establishment, De Anza dancers used Foothill College’s Smithwick Theatre for performances. Although the Flint Center is on the De Anza campus, it is under private management and is too expensive to rent out for student productions.
Although a class, dancers say it feels more like a real dance company.
“We practice on our own too. We practice outside (of class),” said Tyrell De Loney, one of the dancers.
“We’re here because we love to dance,” said “De Loney, who has been dancing since he was seven. Alyssa Gutierrez, another dancer said, “People who want to get their P.E. units … this is not the class for them.”
They consider De Anza’s dance program to be better than that of other community colleges.
Lucas is an inspiration to the dancers. “I can honestly say he’s a one of a kind dancer and instructor. He definitely has an open mind,” Gutierrez said.
His ideas will all be on stage in the form of dance numbers with intriguing titles such as “Dark Matter,” “Unclose Your Eyes” and “God’s Away on Business.”
The performance is on March 20 and 21 in the new VPAC at 8:15 p.m.
