DanceWest is known for beautiful, moving performances showcasing the hard work of the dancers. But there are a lot of behind-the-scenes work that must take place for the show to be a success. After school, the dance productions team (tech crew) works hard to ensure the success of each performance.

Tech crew is the behind the scenes of DanceWest, and is lead by teacher and dancer, Irene-Rose Antonio. Antonio says, “Tech crew learns how to do production work for dance, costumes, sewing, organizing the stage, music, and more.” Some challenges of being a part of tech crew is solidifying what tech crew is, availability, changes in show, and ideas. For a performance, they have “Tech Week”, where tech crew students go onstage and learn their positions in the auditorium. Some members do the lights to set the mood, quick change, and music. They also run the dance show to look for impurities in the performance to see if anything needs adjusting. It also gives the students a feel of the stage for more shows to come.

Costumes in tech crew are a big deal when it comes to the show. Antonio shows students how to use the sewing machine, iron and sort clothes. In the dance room, there is a closet specifically for costumes. Current tech crew students sort boxes and hang up clothes to try and improve organization.

Daniella Sudaria, has been a part of tech crew since 2017. “I love the people in tech crew, it’s full of people who you can talk to, and it is a very fun environment,” Sudaria says. She loves working behind the scenes, and learning ways to help, despite being a dancer herself.

Another important factor in tech crew is attendance. Antonio is very strict on who is in class and who is not in class. If she feels the need to, she will make the individual drop the class. She does this because she wants everyone to give their best, and if they are not participating in the course they are showing they have no dedication to the show or to tech crew.

Junior Anthony Capala says, “The hardest part of tech crew is to dedicate your time and effort in the class, especially during tech week.” Capala is a dancer, choreographer, and is part of tech crew. Antonio to him is like his other mom because he says, “She makes the lessons fun.”