As junior Amanda Hopkins sits in the greenroom surrounded by her friends, she’s not nervous at all. In a matter of seconds, she’ll be silhouetted against a large screen, tinged blue by lights, as the haunting, clear notes of “Relax My Beloved” by Alex Clare float through the auditorium. There will be an audience of over a hundred people sitting on the red plush seats facing the stage, watching her every move, but Hopkins is ready.

She’s eager to start the dance and leave behind the loud, comfortable chaos of the greenroom, where her friends are retouching their stage makeup and donning brightly colored, striped costumes for their 2013 Orchesis show.

Hopkins has been dancing since she was a child, and is ready to rely on her lifetime of practice. Hours upon hours of practice for Orchesis have also helped her to master her steps and technique.  As the dance picks up, the tune becomes haunting and eerie. The unique mood of the song was what drew Hopkins to it, and what inspired her to choreograph a dance to it. The creativity of the dance, which includes the concept of marionettes being controlled, led to its selection as a featured dance in the show.

The curtains have closed and the show has ended now, but the three performances of the show brought Hopkins’s dance to life, if only for a few minutes. Last weekend, Hopkins and other Orchesis members had a chance to perform her dance again, this time to compete for a place in the high school showcase at a state competition.

Though the audition is over, Hopkins plans on continuing to dance in the future. She aims to return to her group of friends in Orchesis again for senior year.

“Being able to express yourself through dance is my favorite thing,” said Hopkins.