High School Musical 3: Senior (Modern Dance Essay)

            One of the most common musicals produced by the Disney Channel is the High School Musical series. Known for their beautiful way of intertwining a story with modern dance, HSM brought enchantment to many children, teenagers, and yes, even adults worldwide. Each song brings with it a force of beauty, awe, affection, and class. The use of many various dance techniques are portrayed throughout each of the three films; however I found Senior Year to be the most passionate and enthralling to watch.

            The first song of the film, “Now Or Never” is a perfect example of the power that dance can have to portray emotions, feelings, and thoughts. The scene is a basketball game, where the stakes are high. The actors are dressed in the team jerseys. The dance is very fast-paced using double time for their actions; most of which are locomotor. Due to being a basketball game, there are lots of various pathways being used with all possible levels. During a foul play, the dancer collapses suddenly to the ground; during a jump shot, the actor sustains in the air.

            By contrast, the song entitled “Can You Imagine?” is the complete opposite; yet shows the power of non-locomotor dance techniques. It is a very slow, half-time dance and is mostly non-locomotor; yet that is the beauty of it – there is so much told in the lack of movement! The two dancers switch from middle to high levels and contract inwards toward each other while towards their own body. There is also a sudden grab of the female dancer which proceeds to open up the dance to movement pathways.

            Another similar dance is entitled “Can I Have This Dance?” It, too, is a slow waltz (literally). As waltzes tend to be, this dance is done in half-time movements with slow steps throughout the stage. Both actors keep eye contact and mirror each other’s actions. The female is sustained in her fall by the male dancer as well as being suddenly tossed into the air halfway through the song. Towards the end, the female does a sustained pekay followed by twists mid-air. With twists and Shawshays, this dance, as well as the one prior mentioned, shows the art involved with ‘Show Don’t Tell’ that is the true power of dance.

            Throughout the above three songs, one can grasp the story within the story that is told via elegant dance. A song is pretty; dance makes it a wonder to watch. The art of the body expressed to the audience is what makes or breaks a musical. The gasp as the dancer sustains in pekay. The gaping mouths when he/she twirls through the levels. The suspense of watching a double-time leap. The beautiful difference in melt and rise. This is art. This is dance. This is beauty.