Quiet hums, flashes from digital cameras and quick footwork filled the backstage moments before dances came alive at Illuminate 2026. Dancers arrived at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo early the morning of Feb. 21 to get ready in the dressing rooms. Performers touched up their braids, put on their costumes and shared excited giggles. They were almost ready to light up the stage.
As the show began, dancers experienced a mixture of nerves and excitement while making final touches in dressing rooms before heading to the stage. The floors vibrate with the sound of opening acts as dancers glance up at the TVs mounted on the walls, watching friends in the first number — performed by the non-audition hip-hop club United Movement.
Some dance teams, like Take Out Kidz (picture 3/3), have “particularly energetic and powerful pieces,” according to United Movement Co-President Lea Graham. To prevent injuries, dancers take time to warm up and stretch before going on stage. Some groups even head outside to run their routines one last time, making final corrections and warming up further while the show is in progress.
View the full gallery by Léa Bourges-Sevenier
