Meet the dance ensemble

Kylie Bautista - FresHman

Kylie Bautista is a Freshman at Hillsdale and this is her first year on the ensemble. Kylie started dancing at 4 years old where she trained in hula and Tahitian. Then in 2019, she started taking hip hop and acro classes at HeartBeat Dance Academy. In middle school she played volleyball and basketball, but decided to start taking dance more seriously. Kylie started competing for HeartBeat in 2022, and recently started taking jazz and lyrical. She is also a part of the JV Cheer Team at HHS! Kylie is so excited for her first year on the dance ensemble, and can’t wait for her first Knight Moves. She would like to thank her family and dance teachers for the endless support!

Clara Beck - Senior*

Clara Beck is a Senior at Hillsdale and this is her fourth year on the Dance ensemble. She started dancing when she was 4 years old taking ballet and tap. Later in elementary school she fell in love with hip hop and started dancing competitively in different styles of dance. Her favorite styles are jazz and hip hop! When Clara isn’t dancing she loves to hangout with her friends, go shopping, and listen to music. Clara is so grateful to be apart of hillsdale dance and wants to thanks her family for supporting her dance journey so far!

Ella Carter - Senior

Ella Carter is a Senior at Hillsdale High School and this is her third year on the ensemble. Ella found her passion for dancing at 6 years old by taking ballet and jazz classes. Ella now dances competitively at Melodic Remedy Dance Studio. In addition to dance, Ella is also a part of Hillsdale’s cheerleading team! When not dancing or cheering, Ella enjoys spending time with her friends and family, going to the beach, and traveling. Ella is so grateful and excited to perform in Knight Moves for the second time and wants to thank her family, friends, and coaches for the endless support!

Alexis Cesarz - SENIOR

Alexis Cesarz is a senior at Hillsdale and this is her first year on the Dance ensemble. Alexis has always loved dancing and performing from a young age but went more with the sports route, deciding to play softball and volleyball. After seeing knight moves for the first time she knew that her biggest high school goal would be to preform in it. In her freshmen year she found her love for preforming again in the beginning dance class with Sabrina.  After joining the cheer team her sophomore year she decided to try out for dance. Despite not making the team on her first try, she came back and made it her senior year. Alexis has grown a strong passion for jazz and hip hop styles of dance. She would like to thank Sabrina for allowing her to peruse her passions on the ensemble and she is so excited to make memories this year and be able to preform in Knight Moves! 

Frances Conway - JUNIOR

Frances is a Junior and this is her second year on the Dance Ensemble. She has been dancing since she was 4 doing styles like ballet, tap, and jazz. She was also a competitive gymnast from the age of 3 until she was 13. In her free time she enjoys teaching dance and gymnastics classes and likes to cook, watch movies, listen to music, and hang out with friends. Frances is so grateful to be apart of The Ensemble and would like to take this opportunity to thank Sabrina Braccini and Savina Lopez for their endless support. She would also like to thank her family and teammates for always pushing her to do her best!

MIa Curtis - Sophomore

Mia is a sophomore at Hillsdale High School and this is her first year being on Dance Ensemble. Mia started training in ballet at the age of 3, and has been at Peninsula Ballet Theatre for the past 10 years. she also enjoys other styles such as contemporary, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop. Aside from dance, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching movies, and reading. Mia is so excited to be a part of the Ensemble this year and is glad she gets to share it with a wonderful group of people! she can’t thank her family enough for the continuous support.

Siena Feinberg - SOPHOMORE

Siena Feinberg is a sophomore at Hillsdale High School and this is her second year on the dance ensemble. Her early years were filled with dance and gymnastics until age 7. Siena rediscovered her passion for dance in 2020 during the pandemic. Additionally, she is a member of the competition team at Heartbeat Dance Academy and is on the JV cheer team at HHS. Outside of dancing, Siena enjoys hanging out with her friends, listening to music, and watching movies. Siena is very excited to be a part of this amazing group of dancers and wants to thank her family, friends, coaches, and dance teachers for all of their support and love, as none of this would be possible without them!

Kelsie Fong - SOPHOMORE

Kelsie has been training at Ayako School of Ballet since age 3, and has attended summer dance intensives at School of American Ballet (New York), Joffrey Academy of Dance (Chicago), DeCruz Ballet (San Antonio), American Ballet Theatre (Costa Mesa), and San Francisco Ballet. In addition to ballet, Kelsie enjoys contemporary, modern, hip hop, and jazz. Fun fact: she has been attending Knight Moves performances since she was 4 years old! She’d like to thank her family, friends, teachers, and all the talented members of Dance Ensemble for their encouragement and support!

Mia Hackett - freshman

Mia is a Freshman at Hillsdale and is excited to be starting her journey with the Dance Ensemble.  She has been dancing since two and a half years old and has studied ballet, lyrical, jazz,  contemporary, tap, hip hop, street jazz, and musical theater.  During her free time she enjoys hanging out with her friends and going on lake camping trips.  Mia comes from a long line of dancers and performers and wants to thank her family, and her dance teachers over the years, for helping to ignite this passion.   

Addison Han - JUNIOR

Addison Han is a junior at Hillsdale High School. She was a soccer player since she was 5. But later, she found her love for dance during quarantine at the age of 13. Now, Addison is taking hip hop classes and exploring styles such as street jazz and jazz. Outside of the studio, she likes to shop, watch movies, and spend time with her friends and family. She wants to thank her family, friends, and coaches for their patience and support. Addison is more than excited to be part of the ensemble.       

Willow Harbin - Junior

Willow Harbin is a Junior at Hillsdale High School and this is her third year on the Dance Ensemble. Willow began dancing when she was 8 years old with a love for tap, ballet and hip hop. Over the years she began learning more styles and developing her passion for dance and choreography. She now dances at Principal Creative and Performing Arts (PCPA) and trains in many different styles, including contemporary, lyrical, ballet, jazz, and tap. When she’s not dancing, Willow loves to travel and hang out with friends and family. Willow is very excited to be a part of the ensemble and would like to thank her parents and dance teachers for supporting her and always pushing her to do her best!

Sierra HArtwig - Junior

Sierra is currently a junior at Hillsdale High School. This will be her first year on the ensemble, and she is beyond excited for the opportunity to dance with such an amazing group of people! She started dancing at the age of 6 when she began taking Mexican Folkloric dance classes through the City of San Mateo’s Parks and Recreation department. She later began branching out into other styles of dance such as jazz and ballet, and eventually joined the City of San Mateo’s Jazz-Ma-Tazz dance troupe. Sierra currently dances at Peninsula Lively Arts, where she trains mostly in ballet and contemporary. Sierra would like to thank all of her coaches, teachers, friends and family for always believing in her and helping her become the person she is today.

Carmen Haugh - SOPHOMORE

Carmen is a sophomore at Hillsdale, and this is her first year on the ensemble. Carmen took her first ballet class at 4 and, after a few years, discovered her love for sports. She decided to stick with sports throughout elementary and middle school and stopped dancing. As freshmen year started, she took the beginning dance class at Hillsdale and was a part of the guest ensemble for Knight Moves. This made her rediscover her love for dance. Her favorite style of dance is jazz. Outside of dance, she is a part of the Hillsdale Cheer Team and is a part of the leadership class. She would like to thank her family and friends for their endless support and encouragement. She can't wait to grow as a dancer and is so grateful to be a part of this group of dancers!

Brooke Haywood - Freshman

Brooke Haywood is a freshman at Hillsdale and this is her first year on the dance ensemble. When Brooke was 2 years old she began competitive gymnastics. Four years ago, Brooke decided to switch from gymnastics to dance. Brooke’s favorite style of dance is hip hop and street jazz. When she  isnt dancing  she enjoys hanging out with friends and shopping. Brooke is so happy to be a part of the Dance Ensemble and wants to thank her family and friends for always supporting her dance journey.

Elsa Hu Barrera - FReshman

Elsa Hu Barrera is a freshman at Hillsdale and this is her first year on dance ensemble. She is very excited for the many performances and fun experiences to come! Elsa started dance when she was 3 years old by taking ballet and tap classes. Now, she dances at Melodic Remedy Dance Studio and is on the competitive hiphop team at CY Danceworks. Her favorite styles of dance are hiphop and jazz! Outside of dance, Elsa loves to hang out with friends, listen to music, and travel to places like New York, or Los Angeles. Elsa would like to express her gratitude to her family, dance coach, dance teachers, and friends for always supporting her and helping make sure she is always her best self.

Larissa Hu Barrera - Senior*

Larissa Hu Barrera is a senior and this is her fourth year on ensemble. Larissa has been dancing since she was two and Larissa dances outside of school at Heartbeat Dance Academy and CY Danceworks where she enjoys training in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, and hip hop. In her free time, Larissa enjoys hanging out with friends and shopping. Larissa would like to thank her loving family and friends for the continuous support and would also like to thank all of her teachers throughout her whole dance career for the guidance and patience!!

Jacinda King - Junior

Jacinda King is a junior at Hillsdale High School and this is her third year on Dance Ensemble. Jacinda started dancing at CY Danceworks at 9 years old, finding her love for hip hop, and trained on their hip hop competition team, Krazy8. Later, she started training in other styles including lyrical, contemporary, and ballet at Melodic Remedy, but her favorite styles to perform and learn are hip hop and jazz. When Jacinda isn’t dancing, she likes to spend time with her friends and family, bake, and listen to music. She would like to thank all her dance teachers and her family for always supporting her and pushing her to do her best!

Cadence Lane - Sophomore

Cadence Lane is a sophomore at Hillsdale, and this is her second year on the Dance Ensemble. Cadence danced at Fusion Dance Project for 5 years, and soon fell in love with hip hop. Unfortunately her studio shut down during the pandemic, but she started to play a lot of sports during middle school and is now on the Varsity Basketball team. After she joined the Dance Ensemble she quickly renewed her passion for dance. Cadence is so grateful she could create new friendships, and be a part of this amazing team. Outside of dance, she enjoys watching movies with her family, playing with her sisters, and listening to music. She would like to thank all her teachers and coaches, her mom for always supporting her, and her dad for pushing her to work harder everyday.

Bella Manoukian - Senior

Bella Manoukian is a senior, and this is her second year on Dance Ensemble. Bella started dancing when she was around 5 years old taking ballet classes. However, she took a long break from dance up until her Freshman year of High School when she took the intermediate dance class at Hillsdale. Her favorite style of dance is lyrical and Jazz. Bella is also on the Hillsdale High School Waterpolo team. Outside of dance Bella enjoys going to the beach, hanging out with friends, and painting. Bella is very excited to perform in Knight Moves and is extremely thankful for everyone in her life that has supported her!

Zaidey Moreno - Senior

Zaidey Moreno is a senior at Hillsdale High School and is so excited for her second year on the Dance Ensemble! She took her first ballet class at the age of four and a variety of other styles of dance throughout her childhood. She revisited dance by taking the intermediate class as a freshman, but after watching Knight Moves and being very impressed, she decided it was something she wanted to be a part of. She began taking dance more seriously and built up the courage to audition for ensemble the next year. Now, her favorite styles are street jazz, hip-hop, and musical theater. Her passion for getting involved at Hillsdale goes beyond dancing, she is also captain of the varsity cheer team and ASB vice president! She would like to thank Sabrina for this opportunity, as well as her family for their endless love and support! She can’t wait to grow as a dancer and for the memories she is going to make with the Ensemble!

Kylee NGo - Junior

Kylee Ngo is a Junior at Hillsdale, and this is her third year in ensemble. She first started dancing when she was two years old, when her grandma taught her Japanese dance. She started training in various different styles when she was three years old, and hasn't stopped since. She is now a competitive dancer who won Hollywood Vibe Dancer of the Year and is touring with them as part of their Teen Company. She was also part of the Warriors Jr Jam dance team and is currently signed with MSA Agency to work as a professional dancer. She wants to thank her mentors, family, friends, and studio, Nor Cal Dance Arts, for all the support they've given her, and for pushing her to be the best dancer possible. She's so grateful to be a part of ensemble, and can't wait to continue her journey with the team.

Josephine Ries - Freshman

Josephine Ries is a Freshman and this is her first year on Hillsdale's Dance Ensemble. Josephine's love for dance originated doing musical theater, in productions like Cabaret, Newsies, Mean Girls, and more. During the pandemic, she began taking lessons in Lyrical/Jazz at CY Danceworks, later joining their competitive hip hop team, Krazy8. When she’s not busy with extracurriculars, Jo enjoys playing piano, shopping, and spending time with her friends, family, and her dog Brooklyn. Josephine would like to thank her dance coaches, her parents for always supporting her and being there for her, and her younger brother, Sebastian, for always being her number one fan. She is so grateful for this opportunity, and is ecstatic to work with this team!

Juliana Sanchez - Senior

Juliana Sanchez is a Senior at Hillsdale High School, and this is her second year on the Dance Ensemble. Juliana started dancing at the age of 10 at Liv Dance Arts but this was cut short due to the pandemic. Outside of dance, Juliana has been a part of the Hillsdale Cheer team since freshman year. When Juliana isn’t dancing, she enjoys listening to music, yoga, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends. Juliana wants to thank her family for their endless love and support and is looking forward to putting on an amazing show and memorable Knight Moves!!

Daniela Savage - Freshman

Daniela is a Freshman at Hillsdale and this is her first year on the Dance Ensemble. Daniela has been training in Hip Hop since age five and started dancing competitively as part of Krazy8 when she was nine. Daniela decided to expand her skills as a dancer and began training in jazz, contemporary, lyrical, musical theater, and ballet at Melodic Remedy four years ago. Daniela’s passion is dancing as part of Poise’n Brigade’s competitive hip hop team. When she is not dancing, she likes to spend time with friends and family, listen to music, shop, and travel to warm, tropical places. Daniela would like to thank her sister for being her inspiration and her parents for always pushing her to be the best she can be.

Abby Thomson - Senior*

Abby Thomson is a senior at Hillsdale and this is her fourth year on the Dance Ensemble. Abby began dancing when she was 3 and started taking ballet classes at Kirkpatrick School of Dance. Over the years she started taking more styles of dance and started to find her passion for dance. She now dances at Heartbeat Dance Academy and trains in many different styles such as contemporary, lyrical, ballet, jazz, and more. She is also on Heartbeats competition team. When she’s not dancing she loves to hang out with friends, spend time with her family, or relax at home. Abby is very excited to be a part of the Dance Ensemble and would like to thank her parents and dance teachers for their endless support!

GigI Thomson - Junior

Gigi Thomson is a junior at Hillsdale High School, and is excited to start her first year in the dance ensemble! Gigi found her love for dancing at 3 years old in ballet class. When she’s not dancing, she’s hanging out with friends, cheering, listening to music, and watching shows and movies. Gigi is super excited to be apart of this ensemble and can’t wait for the show! She’d like to thank her family, friends, coaches, and the ensemble for the endless support!

Maggie THomson- Sophomore

Maggie Thomson is a sophomore at Hillsdale High School and this is her second year on Dance Ensemble. Maggie began dancing ballet and tap at 3 years old at Kirkpatrick School of Dance. She later moved to Heartbeat Dance Academy to continue doing more styles of dance like jazz, lyrical, and contemporary. She currently dances at Heartbeat Dance Academy. Maggie’s favorite style to perform is jazz. When she isn’t dancing, she spends time with her friends and family. Maggie is super excited to be part of the Dance Ensemble and is so grateful for all the support she’s received from her dance teachers and parents!