Jasmine French, Ashley Cunningham, Elijah Hahn-Smith, Kaitlyn Dela Cruz, Jina Skidmore, Halea Monigan, Lily Marvin, Bridget Leal and Sara Agas are among the dancers performing in “The Meaning Behind the Myth,” Benicia High School’s astrology and Greek mythology-themed advanced dance show, which continues tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m. (Photo by Nick Sestanovich)

Sometimes, the answers to life’s questions can be found among the stars. That is the idea behind Benicia High School’s advanced dance show “The Meaning Behind the Myth,” which opened last night and will continue for the next two evenings.

The dance show— which combines the talents of Benicia High’s drama, dance and other performing arts students—is put on once or twice a year and features a story and choreographed dance numbers based on a theme. ”The Meaning Behind the Myth” takes on a Greek mythology theme and tells the story of a distraught young girl, played by Pilar Gonzalez, who recently lost her father and spends her nights on the hillside looking up at the stars. One night, she hears a voice from the heavens that tells her about the Greek myths behind the constellations, which are represented through the dance numbers. Through each segment, the young girl gets to experience these stories and learn valuable lessons.

The creative force guiding students this year is Benicia High’s new dance teacher Samantha Sanchez. Sanchez has been dancing for 25 years, having begun her training in New Mexico and got to work in the areas of jazz, tap, contemporary and ballet. She performed with the New Mexico Ballet Company and Fishback Studio of the Dance in Albuquerque and competed nationally for 10 years. She continued to pursue dance when she moved to California and received her physical education teaching credential in 2016 to teach dance to public schools.

Sanchez said the most difficult aspect of putting the show on was the stage design, but the team pulled it off.

“It can be very time-consuming, which requires a great deal of patience from everyone working on the show,” she said. “The design team have worked very hard, and they did a great job!”

The show, Sanchez said, also produces a great opportunity to collaborate with her students.

“It has been such a great experience working with the Benicia High School Advanced Dance class this year,” she said. “Each student has brought something special to the class, and their talent truly shines on stage.”

To complement the story, there will be choreographed dances set to a a wide array of music, ranging from orchestral instrumentals to pop, hip-hop and alternative songs. Among the more contemporary songs featured are “Something to Believe in” by indie rock band Young the Giant and “Colors” by pop singer Halsey.

“Each song was chosen to accurately portray the story of the myth,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez believes that audiences will find a lot to enjoy about the show.

“I think audiences will enjoy that it is a theme you don’t typically see in dance shows,” she said. “There is a variety of dances for everyone to enjoy.”

It can also be a good growing experience for the dancers themselves, she added.

“I hope dancers will enjoy the athleticism of each dancer on stage, and the show will inspire them to create and continue performing themselves,” Sanchez said.

“The Meaning Behind the Myth” will continue tonight and Saturday, May 27 at 7 p.m. in the BHS Performing Arts Building, located at 1101 Military West. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $8 for students who purchase tickets online at beniciahighperformingarts.org. There is a $2 discount for seniors on Saturday. Those with photosensitive epilepsy should be aware that strobe lighting effects will be used during some of the segments. For more information, visit beniciahighperformingarts.org or call the school at 747-8325.

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