In the final days before Pines Charter’s Winter Fantasy, President of K-Pop United, junior Juliana Duperval is preparing confidently for showtime. Adjusted to the nerves of the upcoming performance, having participated since freshman year, she’s eager to be back under the Winter Fantasy spotlight.
Even under the pressure of such an elaborate show, Duperval has found joy and excitement in performing each year. “As I’m excited to showcase our talents I also worry that some stuff won’t be done in time, but that’s all a part of performing,” she noted. This year, Duperval is in three pieces and is spearheading two of them, allowing her to “have reason to experience both sides of pre-show [nervousness and excitement]!”
Moreover, Duperval has been perfecting her pieces daily in preparation for showtime. “For K-Pop, we’ve been staying after school, FaceTiming, and trying to review as much as possible. [By doing that], we all [now] seem pretty clean and in sync,” Duperval said regarding one of her performances.
For her other piece, a student choreography, she and her team have worked hard over the past weeks to perfect the piece. “We took the piece to a district competition and got an excellent score, so I believe the hard work paid off!”
To Duperval, Winter Fantasy will always hold a special place in her heart. “I love performing and have been since I started dancing at only two years old. I think it’s very important for me to showcase my talents if I feel confident in it,” she said. Because of her participation for the past three years, the show has become an integral part of her high school experience.
Duperval also noted the amount of effort that is required of performers in order to put on a captivating show. She exclaims that “Winter Fantasy isn’t easy and we, as performers, all have a part in the process. [It] may not be the prettiest, but the results definitely are, and I hope that the audience can appreciate that.”
With only one more Winter Fantasy ahead of her, Juliana Duperval is holding onto the memories from all the way back in freshman year. As a longtime performer, she is putting tremendous effort and love into her penultimate performance and is looking forward to her future in PPCHS’s Winter Fantasy.
