SDA Rewind - Going Down Memory Lane

Every SDA showcase since 2017 holds a special place in our heart, but SDA Rewind, our 10th showcase had us witness the lowest of lows and highest of highs within a span 12 hours .

SDA hosted it’s first recital in 2017 at Jersey City’s historic Barrow Mansion with approximately 80 performers and 100 -150 audience members. The venue had no stage and limited capacity. A week before our 10th recital, SDA had the opportunity to perform again at the Barrow Mansion for the Youth Foundation Gala on May 9th. It brought back memories of the small but significant beginning. Some of our students, who were with us at our first show in 2017, were a part of our performances this around as well time. It was a surreal moment, seeing so many familiar faces who have walked this journey along with us. This was a defining moment for SDA!

Our showcases have become the most anticipated and integral part of our dance semesters. SDA grows bigger and better with each showcase. After Barrow Mansion, our next few recitals were held at the PS 16 auditorium until the pandemic hit. Even through those dark and uncertain times, we continued to conduct our classes virtually adhering to our schedule in order to provide a semblance of a routine for our students. We hosted virtual showcases or recorded ones for parents to watch.

Post-COVID, our performers put up a stellar show at Nimbus Theatre even as we continued to look for a larger venue to accommodate more performers, parents and community members. SDA has been growing and expanding. We added several schools and locations to our roster since 2021. From show costumes to choreography and production value to the viewing experience, SDA has aimed to scale up and make our showcases a memorable experience for everyone involved.

At SDA Rewind Spring Showcase 2024, our 350 performers performed for over 750 people across two shows. Just like any milestone, it gave us tears of joy and then also some anxiety-ridden moments. Ms. Shen opened the shows with a sigh of relief and mention of the technical glitch we faced in the morning. Despite the best of intentions, a gorgeous venue at full price and several checks, here we were. Down on luck this time. As they say, money can’t buy you everything. The stage lights at the MS4 auditorium were not working on the morning of the show. We had to pause the tech rehearsal a few times for the technical crew to fix the problem which set us back by an hour. We wrapped up our tech barely 20 min prior to our 3pm show, all thanks to the Team SDA that brought things on track with presence of mind and efficiency. Despite initial hiccups, we began our showcases on time. The shows ran like clockwork. Performances were on schedule and seamless. Kudos to our amazing team for rolling with the punches and being quick to solve all the problems in our path without letting it affect our students.

SDA is proud of the wide variety of dance genres and different styles showcased at this recital. Even as our classical dance forms like Bharatnatyam and Kathak took centre stage, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Bollywood freestyle won audience’s hearts. We blended and performed new dance forms like BollyHop, BollyJazz, Belly dance and ZumBhangra. We also managed to showcase our mini musical - Bal Krishna Leela which is a part of our Cultural Exploration Program. Honestly, we can’t wait to incorporate more dance styles, push the boundaries of talent of our performers and create a more inclusive program and showcase for all. Huge shoutout to our dream team of SDA instructors, assistants, and stage and production crew for bringing it together flawlessly.

Our heart is filled with gratitude for the love and support you have showered on us over the past 7 years and 10 shows. We are thankful to our sponsors and advertisers - British Swim School, Global Soccer Academy, Edge Up, You for Yoga, Fitness Factory Hoboken, Ivy Primary Prep, WonderWorkz, venue partners JCBOE and the MS4 School. Shoutout to our Décor partner Dreams Alive and our Photography Team Eslatata for being so patient with our performers. A show of this magnitude is impossible to pull off without a seamless running back end and we would like to thank our backstage crew from the bottom of our hearts for their hard work and the love they pour into our performers’ well being. A commendable mention for our adult performers, it is not an easy feat to put oneself out there and for this we salute you. Lastly, a huge thank you to all the families and our community who entrusted us with their children and cheered on our little stars on stage!

SDA Rewind will go down in our books as the most stressful but rewarding SDA show of all! Onwards and Upwards!