Our school boasts a phenomenal dance program and one of the main reasons for that is DCO, which is led by senior captains Anni Zhao and Jodie Chon. Jodie Chon was awarded the San Marino Rotary Club’s October Student of the Month, after being nominated by our school dance teacher Ms. Shen.
Chon’s journey with dance has been a long one with many twists and turns. “I started dancing at a ballet studio when I was about five, but didn’t continue past second grade because I found ballet “boring,” but I wish I realized how fun other styles and studios could be. I came to this realization when in high school, taking Beginning Dance my freshman year. I’ve been dancing at SMHS ever since!”
While participating in the school dance program has been instrumental to Chon’s development as a dancer, having been a part of DCO since her sophomore year, Chon has also found success dancing outside of school. “I did end up going back to ballet for about two years during my time at the high school. While it was tiring to balance school and outside dance, taking these classes expanded my technique, exposed me to diverse styles, and increased my strength.”
For Chon, the trait that she believes make up a good dancer is movement quality, something she hopes is displayed through her performances. “Movement quality (and by extension, stylization) contribute to the careers of great dancers from hip-hop to jazz.”
Some of her favorite experiences in SMHS have come from being apart of DCO, in particular DCO’s annual trips. “Our annual tour is my favorite DCo tradition! Each year I’ve made amazing memories performing in different states, taking classes from professional dancers, and staying up with my teammates late at night!”
As captain of DCO, she is currently very engaged in preparing the entire department for their upcoming Dancetra performance, in about a month from now. “As a captain, I’m mainly responsible for communicating between teammates, our coach and teacher Ms. Shen, and organizations such as ASB and Dance Advisory Board. Anni and I both are responsible for guiding the team, which includes setting choreography and formations for the team. As for Dancetra, my favorite piece from this year’s Dancetra is Witchy, which is choreographed by me and my co-captain Anni Zhao.” In all four years of high school, her favorite piece she’s performed is Dust in Your Pocket choreographed by Jaclyn Chu, which was from her Sophomore year.
Chon, along with the entire dance department, is excited to showcase their skills and yearlong work at Dancetra and the show will hopefully be joined by all of you as well.
Leaving high school, Chon hopes to study architecture, while remaining involved in a school ecosystem by furthering her passions like dance. “For me personally, that means I’ve come to realize I’m looking forward to participating in the college ecosystem on any level. I appreciate the significance to the SMHS student community, and my role in it – as a friend, student, mentor, or anything. Ultimately, how I connect with my peers, underclassmen, and student body matters now, and it will certainly continue to matter in college.”
