When Dance Says What Words Cannot: An Award-Winning RAD Performance About Mental Health

RAD Values Reflected: Self-Worth • Empowerment • Respect

Some emotions are difficult to explain. They may be deeply felt but hard to name, carried quietly, hidden beneath the surface, or expressed in ways words cannot fully capture. That is one of the reasons dance can be so powerful. Through movement, music, storytelling, and connection, dancers can communicate experiences that are often difficult to speak about.

This performance, presented by RAD Dance Company (RDC) at Showstopper, held at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, was created in that spirit. It explores themes surrounding mental health with honesty, sensitivity, and care.

More Than a Competition Performance

We are incredibly honored that this piece, “Declined,” received the America Loves to Dance Award at Showstopper. The recognition was an extraordinary moment for our dancers, choreographers, teachers, and families. It celebrated the strength of the performance, the quality of the storytelling, and the commitment our dancers brought to the stage.

But what makes this piece so meaningful to us goes beyond the award. At its heart, this dance is about the emotions people may carry privately. It is about struggle, vulnerability, support, and the need to feel seen. It reminds us that even when someone appears strong on the outside, they may be navigating something much more complicated within.

Watch the Full Performance

Content note: This performance explores themes related to mental health and emotional distress.

The Courage to Tell a Meaningful Story

Performing a piece like this requires more than technical ability. It asks dancers to approach the choreography with emotional maturity, trust, empathy, and vulnerability. Every movement must serve the larger story. Every dancer must remain connected, not only to the choreography, but to one another.

We are deeply proud of the care our dancers, Sofia Thabet, Cami Springer, Katie Comporato, and Madi Hathcock, brought to this work. They did not simply perform steps. They created a shared emotional experience, one that invited the audience to pause, reflect, and perhaps feel less alone. That is a responsibility we never take lightly.

What Dance Can Become

At RAD, we believe dance education should develop the whole person. Technique matters. Discipline matters. Artistry matters. But dance can also help young people build confidence, self-awareness, compassion, and the courage to express themselves honestly. Our goal is to create an environment where dancers feel safe enough to explore meaningful ideas and supported enough to grow through them.

This performance reflects that belief. It shows that young artists are capable of creating work that is not only beautiful, but thoughtful, relevant, and deeply human.

For our team, watching this piece take shape was a reminder of why we do this work. Long before the choreography was set, there were conversations about trust, about what it means to hold space for something honest, and about how far a group of young dancers can go when they feel safe enough to try. Those conversations mattered as much as the rehearsals.

Rehearsing a story like this, again and again, changes a room. It asks dancers to show up not only with their technique, but with their attention to one another. That kind of connection cannot be manufactured for a stage. Audiences feel it. So do we.

Recognition With Meaning

Receiving the America Loves to Dance Award was a tremendous honor. We are grateful to Showstopper for recognizing this piece and the impact it created onstage. More importantly, we are grateful to the dancers who trusted the process, the choreographers who shaped the story, the teachers who supported the work, and the families who continue to encourage these young artists.

Awards are meaningful because they recognize excellence. But the moments that stay with us most are the moments when art creates connection: when a dancer feels understood, when an audience member sees something of themselves onstage, or when a performance opens the door to a conversation that matters.

That is what this piece gave us. And that is why we are so proud to share it.

Performance Credits

Performance: Declined

Choreography: Nadine Hassen and Madi Pinheiro

Performed by: Sofia Thabet, Cami Springer, Katie Comporato, Madi Hathcock (RAD Dance Company)

Competition: Showstopper, Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim

Recognition: America Loves to Dance Award

Season: 35th Season, 2026

▶ Watch the full performance on Vimeo

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