By Allison Lu,
Staff Writer
Stage lights dazzled Class of 2020 alumna Sydney Taylor as she demonstrated a series of claps, side steps and swings to the cast members seated around her, exaggerating her movements with a flourish. Applause greeted the end of her performance as she gathered the dancers for a quick run through of the scene’s choreography.
With parents involved with performing arts, Taylor grew up surrounded by music and dance. Her parents enrolled her in dance classes beginning at age 3, which sparked her interest in exploring the field.
Entering high school, Taylor joined color guard all four years, becoming captain her junior and senior year, while also leading the dance ministry for her church outside of school. She participated in the musical “Newsies” as a primary dancer her senior year.
“Being in the musical was the best decision I ever made,” Taylor said. “I only got to do it once, and that was the year the musical got canceled. I think I was really impacted by that experience. I loved being there–it was the one thing in high school that really left me wanting more.”
After graduating, Taylor came back to coach color guard virtually for their 2020-21 season. She joined this year’s musical production of “High School Musical” as head choreographer, bringing her experience from the previous year as assistant choreographer under Jennifer McCrary in “Annie Jr.”.
While incorporating a mix of the iconic moves in the musical, Taylor adds her own take on the choreography and adapts to the cast’s talents. Many of the production numbers Taylor choreographed, including songs like “Get’cha Head in the Game,” “Bop to the Top” and “We’re All in This Together,” were inspired by the original movie and YouTube videos of other high schools doing similar stage adaptations.
“I’m never done learning,” Taylor said. “Even with this production, it’s teaching me a lot about what I can be better at. There are certain strengths that I have coming from the background that I have, but there are also weaknesses I have, and that’s when I’m able to lean on others.”
Taylor hopes to honor the tradition of producing the annual musical, which brings the city together every year. She hopes to give the cast the same experience she had–one full of pressure but pushing out of their comfort zones by being a part of this production.
“I think the best thing about the musical is just seeing so many different groups on campus come together to do one project,” Taylor said. “You see them grow and start to get more comfortable in their skin and their characters, and it’s just magic.”
Taylor plans to stay on the production team for as long as possible and contribute as a choreographer. She is exploring other avenues of dance by taking on various choreographing roles and challenging her growth.
“I’m never not going to dance,” Taylor said. “I’m not sure exactly where choreography will take me but I want to explore more and try to find a way to unite my skills and my passions. I think that if I can do that in a way that sheds some light on art education, that’s my number one goal.”