In a school where academic validation takes the center stage, where IB students strive for the top scores, and college applications hinge on straight A’s, it’s easy to overlook what truly ties us as human beings. While Millbrook High School takes pride in its IB Diploma Programme, it’s the liberal arts department that binds the school together. It’s here, in the mesmerizing dance moves and choreography by the dance coach, Darius Anthony, and his students himself, that the soul is touched. Often, it’s the unexpected students that shine the brightest on stage.
Millbrook High School’s dance department organized a dance concert that took place on May 16, 2025. This concert redefined the laws of self expression, abandoning overpowering stage spectacle, and entranced the audience through silhouettes, dance formations, lyrical dancing, and flowy costumes. The only use of ‘spectacle’ was basic forms of light switches, it was all up to the dancers and their performances to exceed audience expectations. Applauds were regularly heard during each performance. While the solos with a more vulnerable tone, were left to be processed in silence.
The dance concert began with the dance coach, Darius Anthony, emphasizing the importance of dance as a focal point in his life and career. While also distributing scholarships to the hardworking dancers that have been the greatest support system to Mr. Anthony himself. The scholarships amounted to astounding numbers that will benefit the senior dancers, thanks to the dedication of the Dance Boosters. Acknowledging the seniors was truly inspiring and served as a reminder to persevere and never lose sight of ones’ dreams. Their hard work, long days of rehearsals, and intricate choreography were recognized and truly paid off. Dedicated member of the “Wildcat Pride Dance Team,” Skyla Rivera, shared, “the memories made through the concert had really reminded me of how wonderful the dance team has been this year and how all our hard work throughout the year really paid off.
The group dances transpired imaginations and generally incorporated silhouettes, hip-hop music, fluid costumes, and lighting. While the solos varied from themes of vulnerable sentiments to lighthearted music mixed with upbeat dancing. After watching the dance concert, Millbrook High School student Trystan Smith described the choreography as “a unique take on the concept of love,” and said it was “especially cool to see each and every interpretation through dance.”
The dances are listed in order below:
Opening: Advanced (Jazz)
2B Beginning
Jolie Group
3B intermediate
Nailah Solo
1A beginning
Dance team (hip hop)
Olivia solo
Rowan and Anthony duet
Proficient (hip hop)
Dottie solo
Dance team (jazz)
Kai Solo
Kayla Solo
Boys dance
Xavier -A
Rowans Group
Dance team (lyrical)
Sam Solo
Proficient (jazz)
Advanced (contemporary finale)
Memorable performances worth highlighting include Kai Malcom, the dance that earned Millbrook Pride Dance Team’s spot in the national championship, the gut wrenching duet between Mr. Anthony and Xavier Brown which was dedicated to Anthony’s parents and dance family, the vibrant solos, and the empowering dance choreographed by Jolie Batista.
Kai Malcolm’s performance is truly one for the books. It opened with an animation of an action scene filled with superheroes and suspense, in a fantasy alternate universe. Also featuring fighting sequences, which would suddenly break the fourth wall by bringing those same super heroes into the real world of Millbrook High School. It cuts to real footage of the auditorium and backstage where an action scene is filmed between the villain (Austin Clinton) and superhero (Kai Malcom). The video animation is perfectly aligned with real life as Kai walks out to the stage simultaneously. The villain from the animation steps out and carries the superhero off stage to symbolise his defeat. But the superhero prevails, walks back to the stage, and returns in triumph and delivers an impressive hip-hop style dance. Overall, summarizing this performance into words is nearly impossible, but it was so good that it received a standing ovation from the audience.
Senior and MPDT member, Jolie Batista, choreographed an unforgettable dance that zombified the objection of women in modern times. Utilizing the strong words from Billie Eilish’s song “The Diner,” the dance motions were expressive and symbolic to women’s struggles.
The Millbrook Pride Dance Team’s performance reinforced strong emotions of pride in Millbrook students, faculty, and parents in the audience. The complex hip-hop moves in the dance were fast paced and mesmerizing. Their passionate and precise implementation of the choreography earned them the opportunity to not only compete at national championships in Florida for the first time in Wildcat history, but also win 3rd in the nation! “The dance concerts have always been my favorite part of the school year! It’s so special for me to see my dance family come together and work hard over the semester to produce an amazing show at the end of the year for everyone to see!” said Wildcat Pride Dance Team member, Ashley Gorczynski.
Overall, the dance concert was inspiring and demonstrated that through work and will, anything is possible. As an unforgettable figure in their life, Mr. Anthony’s hard work and dedication to coaching these students has paved the way for the talented dancers’ future successes.
