The Highly Anticipated Dance Performance Left the Audience in Awe

A group of people in black clothing are gathered on a stage in front of a sign that reads "Rectory School".

By Jacob Guertin, Associate Director of Communications

March 30, 2026

For the first and only time this year, the Rectory School Dance Team took center stage. The Tang was filled with proud family members holding their bouquet of flowers and enthusiastic friends cheering their peers with unmatchable jubilation. On Friday, March 27, 2026, the anticipation had built so much because of Mother Nature’s interruption–but it proved to be well worth the wait.

“This is all we have–one chance to show you everything we’ve learned.” ~ Coach Botta

As a Winter athletics offering, dance is unique because there are no varsity or JV teams, and there are no games to showcase what they have learned. It is composed of seasoned dancers as well as first-timers. The troupe is a blend of seasoned artists and brave first-timers who have been working tirelessly since November. They have been perfecting difficult jazz sequences, intricate floor work, and expressive gestures with the goal of being confident enough to execute them perfectly in front of everyone. Just before the lights fell and the music started, Coach Botta reminded the audience, “This is all we have–one chance to show you everything we’ve learned.”

A group of people are gathered in a dimly lit room, with a large "Rectory" banner visible in the background, and the crowd appears to be engaged in some kind of event or performance. — *The Dance Team's Opening Jazz Routine.*

As February came, the team was honing their skills, perfecting their turns, and designing their program to represent all that they had learned and share their creativity and tactical choreography through performance. However, due to winter weather, early flights, and other schedule-related factors, the dance showcase was postponed. When the Spring Term started, the Dance Team and coaches found ways to make practice happen. The period of time between the originally scheduled dance and Friday night's performance had led to an extremely eager crowd and even more added nerves for a troupe of girls who had plenty of reasons to feel anxious without a two-week break and a spring schedule they still needed to maintain.

A performer in a pink costume is dancing on stage, holding a large white fan-like prop, with the "Regency School" text visible in the background. — *Nina L. '27 performing and intricate and powerful Chinese Traditional dance.*

Dance team leaders like Tori G. ‘27, Estella Q. ‘26, Anne S. ‘27, Nina L. ‘27, and Eleanor A. ‘28 were proud to be the face of the Rectory School Dance Team, and their talent spoke for itself. Nina and Estella each had a Chinese Traditional Solo Dance that showcased the attention to detail, artistry, and history that went into their performances. Tori and Allegra brought the energy to Vogue by Madonna, while the group dances were powerful and cohesive. Tho whole team opened with a riveting Jazz routine, followed by a poetic and inspiring dance to Georgia by Emily King. Their final dance was a soft and beautiful dance to The Flowers in Your Hair by The Lumineers.

Wren, Pippa, Sophia, and Hadley's group dance to The Fate of Ophelia by Taylor Swift.

If this performance and the dedication of coaches Ms. Botta and Mrs. Johnson are any indicators of what the future holds, the best is yet to come for the dance program. "We are so proud of these girls, they worked so hard," said Coach Johnson, "and they persevered through all obstacles and are finally able to share it with the community." All dances are available for parents to watch on Blackbaud and YouTube. A full gallery of images from the dance can be found on the Dance Team page.