UBC Dance Horizons

“Breathing Air” is a testament of hope for those navigating a challenging time. It explores the cyclical nature of life, showcasing the transition from isolating feelings of uncertainty and loss, to rediscovering joy and the courage to lean on others. We hope it serves as a reminder of the impermanence of turbulent times, and acknowledging the strength it can take to simply breathe.

Choreographers: Dani Ciceri & Kyra Gert

Dancers: Annelise Yaeger, Dania Meng, Eden Bellman, Eleanor Green, Emilia Mazzella, Emily Fitzgerald, Emma Lesko, Grace Lam, Hana Yang, Hannah Fok, Isabelle Russell, Janet Cho, Janice Suhardja, Kashish Chavda, Krystal Lau, Kshitij Chitrakar Gupta, Livia Zheng, Maya Boyd, Meg Manalo, Milana Grozic, Nicole Carcano, Nina McCarthy, Saloni Yadav, Sarah Wong, Skye Organ, Sofia Lorenti, Sophia Bill, Tiana Yu, Vaagisha Kanwar, Yolanda Yu, Zeshawn Smikle

A tribute to dad music, ju-ju eyeball, toe-jam football, walrus gumboot, and everything in between.

Choreographers: Chase Corbett

Dancers: Ava McAdam-Beder, Chase Corbett, Chloe Chan, Lauren de Leeuw, Mafer Salinas, Meaghan Plumridge, Nicole Li, Taylor Jackson

Our piece focuses on the Elements of funk and 90s boy group era that ground us to the Earth and the world around. Taking and breaking down elements from the 80s and 90s that eventually influenced the music and dance around us right now, Snack looks to take you back to the era where we were more grounded in funky groovy music with beautiful acoustic instrumentation along with live vocals and concert footage helping you connect to the nature of the era prior to the turn of the new millennium. Come join us on the journey and experience the Elements of the 80s and 90s.

Choreographers: Kshitij Chitrakar Gupta 

Dancers: Graciela Licardo, Jacqueline Cormier, Jade McMillan, Janice Suhardja, Justine Dumandan, Kshitij Chitrakar Gupta, Matthew Cai, Saya Kawabe, Sean Angelo Nacar, Shanelle Danimae Cuevas, Tiffany Tran, Winnie Wen

DHCollective is Dance Horizon’s advanced cross-genre dance team! This piece, created by the Hip-Hop division is inspired by the four elements (air, water, earth, and fire) and how each element would move. Show them some love and enjoy the show!

Choreographers: Lauren Lim, Ria Mahoney, and Simi Sahota

Dancers: Chuc An Trinh, Eva Vandersluis, Grace Choi, Haley Kim, Ivy Shi, Jessica Bhala, Lauren Lim, Lauren-Nicole Pizarra, Ria Mahoney, Sahaj Chadha, Saki Yamauchi, Sarah Chenwang, Sayaka Kanetsuki, Simi Sahota, Talia Chen

A smooth yet energetic piece with elements of a cultured vibe

Choreographer: Richard O’Sullivan

Dancers: Angelia Thomson, Angelina Wu, Bernice Chan, Bianca Simka, Carina Hong, Casimira Ng, Eden Bellman, Emiliya Sartayeva, Hana Yang, Hiroko Yokota, Jacobo Abad Gonzalez, Joanna Shao, Kelly Wei, Kimberly Buenaventura, Luna Inomoto, Maraam Ismail, Nicole Carcano, Radha Kumar, Tuscany Richards, Yan Sidyakin

"Shoes on Fire" will take you on a fire-filled journey of mystery and action, beginning with the tippy tappers realizing their dance moves are literally too hot to handle, to tracking down just who's tippy taps set the dance floor ablaze, and finally becoming the heroes DH needs to extinguish the flames. Fueled by some fast feet and a "fire" remix of your favourite blazing bops, we hope our piece gets your temperature rising and your feet moving as fast as ours will!

Choreographer: Jo Rumscheidt, Kate Dunne, and Kyra Gert

Dancers: Jacqueline Cormier, Jo Rumscheidt, Kate Dunne, Kyra Gert, Lara Borgford, Mika Neuvonen, Mollie Sohn, Nina McCarthy, Saloni Yadav, Sienna Muller, Skye Organ, Sophia Bill, Zeshawn Smike

​​In the world of Hip hop, this dynamic group of dancers will take you on a journey through the rich history and culture of this groundbreaking art form. Paying tribute to the legendary DJ Kool Herc, they will showcase the five core elements of Hip hop – MC, DJ, Graffiti, Breaking, and most importantly, the Knowledge that has shaped generations. Prepare for an electrifying performance filled with energy, passion, and history, as the dancers bring the beats, the moves, and the fire to life.

Choreographer: Kingston Chen

Dancers: Ai Tominaga, Alina Kazmi, Aliyah Simpson, Amber Lee, Annelise Yaeger, Bonnie Xing, Daisy Han, Emily Lee, Esther Xu, Georgia Pellissey, Hannah Salkever, Ian Lee, Kaatyaayani Singh, Kashish Chavda, Kimberly Buenaventura, Maggie Zhao, Misato Oda, Misbah (Missy) Qureshi, Nathan Mathew, Olivia Ding, Serena Chakraborty, Shambhavi Pachauri, Sogand Haji-Salimi, Tara Mehr, Tianai Q, Tiffany Tran, Wish Kosgoda, Yuxi Shao

Please welcome DHi to the music industry! Throughout this performance, you will be joining them in their journey to piece together all the elements of a hit song. Watch as they bring together a banger intro, a memorable chorus, an emotional bridge, and an epic finale to reach #1 on Dance Horizon’s Billboard Top 100.

Choreographer: Shanelle Danimae Cuevas & Winnie Wen

Dancers: Anagha Nair, Angelia Thomson, Celine Aurelia Djap, Claudia Rios Torres, Emiliya Sartayeva, Hannah MacDonald, Jasmine Baluyut, Karolina Moo, Leila Gazizova, Patricia Silva, Sean Angelo Nacar, Shanelle Danimae Cuevas, Sofie Acuña, Winnie Wen, Wish Kosgoda

To align with Dance Horizon's theme of "Elements", we have chosen fire to inspire our piece. Using only trailblazing female artists, we hope our piece embodies empowerment, independence, and solidarity among dancers.

Choreographers: Chloe Zandberg, Jaian Salaysay, Larissa Lee, Lauren Hope, Poppy Lam, and Unice Lee

Dancers: Amy Matsui, Angela Huang, Chloe Zandberg, Felix Lao, Jaian Salaysay, Jolie Lerio, Kathleen Zhu, Kiera Cheung, Kiran Dhanda, Lauren Hope, Poppy Lam, Sherry Zhuo, Stefanie Bterrani, Tayte McLennan, Thiago Ribeiro, Tiana Hu, Unice Lee, Vicky Chao, Yuki Lam, Zoe Houpt

"Break The Ice" conveys an intense, almost hypnotic sense of anticipation and flirtation, as Britney uses the metaphor of "breaking the ice" to describe the process of overcoming emotional barriers and stepping into vulnerability. The lyrics center around a charged, yet playful encounter, where the protagonist is ready to get closer, push past the formalities, and connect on a deeper level. These dancers are about to SLAY.

Choreographers: Jillian Ung

Dancers: Amarachi Oriaku, Anagha Nair, Brittaney Ho, Cara Hou, Cory Pratt, Cynthia Truong, Elizabeth Jacob, Hannah Salkever, Jacob Nacomel, Jacqueline Cormier, Janet Cho, Joanna Tong, Kamila Maral, Saloni Yadav, Tiya Iyengar, Viya Kanwar

Water, Earth, Fire, Air.

Only the Avatar (Shaang), master of 4 elements could stop them!

Our Ember Island Play recounts the story of Avatar Shaang, who trains in all four elements to defeat the Fire Nation. The piece tells the story by bringing the audience through the three elements Shaang trains in. The play features members from each nation, beginning with Water, proceeding to Earth, then to Fire, and ending with Air. We will immerse the audience in the world of Avatar with a story-like performance spanning many dance genres.

Choreographers: Sabrina Yu, Saki Yamauchi, Shanelle Danimae Cuevas, Thiago Ribeiro, and Vedika Handa

Dancers: Elizabeth Jacob, Rebecca Fan, Sabrina Yu, Saki Yamauchi, Shanelle Danimae Cuevas, Thiago Ribeiro, Tiya Iyengar, Vedika Handa, Winnie Wen

UBC K-Wave's piece is centered around the formation of obsidian, playing with the idea of Earth's fiery energy meeting the cooling embrace of the elements. Hidden in its polished darkness are the whispers of cooling wind and the smoldering fire that formed its unyielding surface, freezing a moment of transformation in solid stone.

Choreographer: Chloe Li, Keone Madrid, Kim SungKwan, Park Sungchan, Star System, and Vinh Nguyen

Dancers: Adam Chen, Ailie Ozaki, Arianne Quon, Cara Zhang, Chloe Li, Emily Chang, Jun Fu, Kat Zhu, Mina Wu, Rachael Zheng, Sooah Hong, Stephanie Leong, Sunny Jiang, Vanessa Lau, Victoria Hong, Vivia Fung, WenHei Wong, Yvonne Yuan

This piece is inspired by a sunset on the beach, where the four elements meet—the water of the ocean, the air of the sea breeze, the earth of the sand, and the fire of the sun. The dancers portray the feelings of nostalgia and longing that accompanies this setting.

Choreographer: Campbell Speedy

Dancers: Cara Hou, Cassie Choi, Eleanor Green, Emma Owens, Georgia Pellissey, Hana Yang, Hazel Szekely, Holly Maxwell, Jade McMillan, Janice Suhardja, Karolina Moo, Kshitij Gupta, Maya Boyd, Meg Manalo, Vrisha Nilesh Vyas

The 2024 Collective contemporary division invites you to indulge in yet another year of high-intensity, captivating pieces, choreographed by the ever-growing list that is our all-powerful captaining team! This year, they have decided to use their powers for good, manipulating the four elements to take you on a spell-binding journey full of witchcraft and wonder. Each member of the contemporary division has worked so incredibly hard this term, so we are proud to showcase a piece that celebrates both comfort in individuality as well as the power we all hold when we choose to come together as one. The only question that remains: which witch is which?

Choreographers: Georgia Keir, Kaleigh Robinson, and Kate Dunne

Dancers: Amy Matsui, Chase Corbett, Emma Marsden, Hudson Arksey, Jennifer Holliday, Jo Rumscheidt, Kate Dunne, Madeline Lehman, Mika Neuvonen, Mollie Sohn, Olivia Lau, Sienna Muller, Sylvia Tam

The movement in this piece fuses Afro-dance styles with technique from different genres such as Hip-Hop, Soca and Jazz Funk. With Afro being the foundation for the choreography, Mario also takes inspiration from his time training in Aotearoa (New Zealand) where Afro-dance has a huge influence within the choreography community.

— Cultural acknowledgement from Mario (Choreographer): As someone who doesn't come from the African diaspora, I acknowledge that I'm a guest to this beautiful culture. I want to thank my amazing teachers and mentors who've guided me and given me their blessing to teach this movement.

Choreographers: Mario Matias

Dancers: Ailie Ozaki, Andrea Ramirez Espindola, Bruce Ancheta, Chloe Sapaden, Claudia Rios, Elizabeth Jacob, Grace Choi, Graciela Licardo, Hannah MacDonald, Hannah Salkever, Isabella Cen, Jacob Nacomel, Janice Suhardja, Joanna Tong, Kimia Ataollahi-Eshqoor, Leila Gazizova, Lidya Santoso, Luna Inomoto, Mai Luong, Maraam Ismail, Megan Kadzirange, Nicole Howell, Sahaj Chadha, Saki Yamauchi, Sophie Dunleavy, Talia Chen, Tianna Le, Tiffany Tran, Tiya Iyengar, Winnie Wen, Zeshawn Smikle

The word "lovely" (or the concept behind it) can embody a feeling of both comfort and tension in relation to one's individuality in the face of societal expectations. This kind of tension is often about balancing personal authenticity with the desire to belong to a group.

"Lovely" could be interpreted as something superficial or expected — a pleasant, universally accepted term that can mask deeper, more complex emotions. It’s often used in social contexts to conform to norms, but when someone uses it in relation to their own experiences, it could represent an attempt to align with others or hide the complexity of their inner self.

The idea of waves trying to "drown you" captures that feeling of being constantly pulled toward conformity. The fear of being opposed or misunderstood by the group echoes that push and pull between staying true to who you are versus trying to fit in with what's expected. The struggle between individuality and social pressure is a real, almost existential tension — especially in a world where there are constantly shifting norms and expectations.

Choreographer: Jillian Ung

Dancers: Cara Hou, Celine Djap, Cynthia Truong, Hannah Fok, Kyra Gert, Ziwen Mei

Metamorphoses is a celebration of the beauty, harmony, and power of the four elements, a portrait of how we are shaped and reshaped by them, and an account of transformation.

Choreographers: Yurina Kanehara

Dancers: Alejandra Wong Lu, Elle Wruck, Emily Hogan, Emma Pohl, Gabriella Lau, Kelsey Kominek, Lina Baang, Maria Djordjevic, Nadia Sertic, Ruby Li, Sian Dillon, Sienna Muller, Sofie Tanaka, Yurina Kanehara

Our piece A Palé reflects on the essence of quiet strength— the embodiment of a type of inner-power that moves within us without the need for recognition or spotlight. Like elemental forces in nature, it embodies a constant, grounded and often unseen presence which shapes and sustains us.

Choreographer: Emiko Koizumi & Taylor Jackson

Dancers: Ava McAdam-Beder, Chase Corbett, Chloe Chan, Corliss Chu, Ella Rowlandson, Emiko Koizumi, Hana Kang, Jamie Samoyloff, Jordyn Krezanoski, Katelyn Eisner, Keira Barclay, Lauren De Leeuw, Livea Timms, Madelena Klein, Makenzi Harris, Marley Bohmer, Mater Salinas De los Santos, Meaghan Plumridge, Michelle Fong, Mollie Sohn, Mya Grabarczyk, Nicole Li, Olivia Ostrowski, Sophia Gorman, Taylor Jackson

We're here for a good time, not a long time. This piece is exactly that.

Choreographers: Shaqueel Lawrence

Dancers: Angelina thomson, Bruce Ancheta, Chuc An Trinh, Dana Puli, Emma Marsden, Graciela Licardo, Hannah MacDonald, Helen Ma, Jacob Nacomel, Kiran Dhanda , Krystal Lau, Mai Luong, Megan Kadzirange, Tiya Iyengar, Tracy Dong, Winnie Wen, Yan Sidyakin

Fusing Afro dance with different street dance techniques and elements, this beginner-level class is all about learning new movement in a joyful environment. This piece is inspired by 1970s American cabarets, but with an Amapiano twist.

What is Amapiano? Amapiano is a South African music genre that combines elements of jazz, kwaito, house and other genres to create a distinct dance sound. Thanks to artists like Tyla and Tyler ICU, Amapiano has taken over the world.

Choreographers: Mario Matias

Dancers: Aibibi Akshulakova, Andrea Ramirez, Angelina Wu, Arielle Soukantima, Casimira Ng, Chloe Sapaden, Gisele Fu, Jacobo Abad Gonzalez, Milana Grozic, Primrose, Tianna Le, Tuscany Richards, Umika Varindani

DHCollective is Dance Horizon’s advanced cross-genre team! This mid-year show, they are in their element, doing what they do best: in blending contemporary and hip hop styles into one iconic dance. They’re so excited to live it up on the DH stage and they hope you enjoy the show!

Choreographers: Jo Rumscheidt & Lauren Lim

Dancers: Amy Matsui, Chase Corbett, Chuc An Trinh, Emma Marsden, Eva Vandersluis, Georgia Kier, Grace Choi, Haley Kim, Hudson Arksey, Ivy Sh, Jennifer Holliday, Jessica Bhala, Jo Rumscheidt, Judith Hsieh, Kaleigh Robinson, Kate Dunne, Lauren Lim, Madeline Lehman, Mika Neuvonen, Mollie Sohn, Nicole Pizarra, Olivia Lau, Sahaj Chadha, Saki Yamauchi, Sarah Chenwang, Sayaka Kanetsuki, Sienna Muller, Simi Sahota, Sylvia Tam, Talia Chen

A collective piece performed by Trek Dance Company

Choreographers: Calvin, Jerome, Joanna, Kelsey, Vince, and Zoe

Dancers: Alex Balog, Amy Li, Angela Kurian, Angela Zylfo, Aurora Basilan, Bianca Antonio, Calvin Cruz, Christiana Chiu, Crystie Situ, Czarina Esplana, Daniella Yeung, Echo Chen, Faith Lumba, Frances Agbayani, Gabby Pozas, Ghieann Rayco, Gladys Guo, Jane Aleksieieva, Janine Mariano, Jatin Kumar, Jerome Esplana, Joanna Magano, Jordan Opena, Karis Hung, Kayla Tang, Kelsey Martin, Kevin Wang, Kim Panganiban, Kristine Panganiban, Leandro Sublay, Mal Wesley, Margaux Ador, O’Ryan Unger, Ryoma Takeda, Sansan Liu, Sophia Katsuno, Stefanie Low, Stephy Tsang, Ting Chi Yu, Tolu Joan, Tori (Chimming) Lyu, Vince Rodriguez, Vivian Huang, Zoe Dang, Zyania Garcia, Tianyu Yang

The DH Exec Piece is a celebration of our energy and passion for dance, blending the smooth flow of jazz with the raw power of hip-hop, all set against the elements of water and fire. As these two forces collide, we mix these styles to tell a story of transformation and balance. Our exec team has put in so much work behind-the-scenes, and we can't wait to share our own piece we created with you!

Choreographers: Ailie Ozaki, Graciela Licardo, and Kaleigh Robinson

Dancers: The 2024/25 Dance Horizons Execs + Reps!

In a world full of colours, two groups of polar opposites discover how similar they really are to one another as they explore the wonderful creation of coming together, creating a new element of unity.

Choreographers: Kshitij Chitrakar Gupta & Sean Angelo Nacar

Dancers: Ai Tominaga, Aibibi Akshulakova, Amarachi Princess Oriaku, Amber Lee, Angelina Wu, Arielle Soukantima, Bernice Chan, Bianca Simka, Cara Zhang, Carina Hong, Cassie Choi, Collin Seto, Daisy Han, Dania Meng, Emily Lee, Emiri Yanagi, Emma Han, Esther Xu, Gisele Fu, Hannah Salkever, Hiroko Yokota, Honoka Morimoto, Ian Lee, Jacob Nacomel, Jacobo Abad Gonzalez, Joanna Tong, Kamila Maral, Kelly Wei, Kimberly Buenaventura, Kimia Ataollahi-eshqoor, Kshitij Chitrakar Gupta, Lily Xie, Maggie Zhao, Matthew Cai, Misato Oda, Misbah Nosheen Qureshi, Sean Angelo Nacar, Serena Chakraborty, Shambhavi Pachauri, Shanelle Danimae Cuevas, Tara mehr, Tianna Le, Tiffany Tran, Tracy Dong, Umika Varindani, Wing Chin Ng, Wish Kosgoda, Yolanda Yu, Ziwen Liu