Sacred Hearts Academy senior Anna Casupang recently found her love of dancing through a new dance team created by Mo‘olelo Studios called Team Elevate.
“Dancing allows me to not only do something that I truly enjoy but also express myself. It gives me an outlet to forget about any type of stress,” said Casupang, who has been part of the team for almost a year.
Casupang started dancing during her sophomore year of high school and has always had a passion for musical theater. She wanted to improve her performance on the stage since many musicals involve dancing.
The team is part of a recent expansion in Mo’olelo Studios’ theater operations. Mo’olelo Studios has a history with performing arts, specifically in theater production. This dance team is unlike its previous groups and classes, which included musical theater, dance, singing and acting. It shares its dance expertise with different communities by allowing instructors of other dance techniques to join their sessions. So far, Team Elevate has had jazz lessons, tap dance lessons and many more. An experienced instructor accompanies each lesson.
Alexandria Zinov, the dance team’s coach, said her goal was to instill a deep love of dance in the team members, with hopes that their passion will boost their self-confidence. The team has been taking various dance classes, such as jazz, jazz funk, contemporary, hip hop, musical theater, tap, femme and modern.
Many agree that Zinov is an amazing dance coach who encourages her students to stay true to themselves while on the dance floor. She believes that dance is an emotional element.
“Dance has a beautiful way of healing, inspiring and telling stories through movement,” Zinov said.
Zinov, originally from Utah, has been a dancer since she was three years old. Her love for dance never faded, inspiring her to attend a performing arts high school. Zinov knew that she always wanted dance to be part of her future, which led her to obtain a degree in dance education.
Some notable moments of Zinov’s dance life include dancing for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Utah Jazz for four years and performing in plays in Utah and Hawaii.
Zinov said, “My passion for the performing arts continues to grow, and now more than ever, I feel a strong desire to give back.”
As a way of giving back, Zinov said, “I hope to inspire others to pursue their dreams with the same level of determination and enthusiasm. I believe wholeheartedly that no dream is too big or out of reach. With the right mindset, perseverance and belief in oneself, anything is possible.”
Zinov has some advice for aspiring dancers. She believes that performing is the most rewarding experience in life. Every moment becomes a learning experience that will help dancers to grow.
“Stay dedicated to your craft, put your heart into every movement and trust in your ability to improve each day,” she said. “Above all, never lose sight of the joy and passion that brought you to dance in the first place.”
