OUR MISSION
Westside offers four levels of dance including Introduction to Dance, Intermediate Dance, Intermediate/Advanced Dance, and Advanced Dance. Students are also provided performance opportunities through Inertia Dance Company and Annual Westside Dance Performances. The first three levels are technique-based focusing on various disciplines (including modern dance, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, musical theatre, and contemporary), dance history, choreography and performance. Both written and practical assessments are administered throughout the year.
Westside Dance requires an audition process for all upper level dance classes and Inertia Dance Company and Inertia 2. Auditions are generally held in April for the following school year. Inertia Dance Company and Inertia 2 are performance-based, and also meet as a class during the school day. Both organizations require after school rehearsals and performances throughout the entire school year.
Inertia aspires to create the total theater experience that is satisfying to the most existential mind while also being compelling to the general audience. What makes the Inertia program unique is the integration of technology in our classrooms, class projects and theater productions, given that Westside High School is a magnet school for integrated technology.
Inertia strives to achieve:
Creative and entertaining body of work guided by the mission of Inertia
Educating young men and women from various walks of life about discipline and excellence in the classroom.
Collaborating with other artists and companies including, but not limited to musicians, lighting designers, costume designers, set designers, filmmakers, and other choreographers.
Offering teaching and choreographic opportunities at festivals, studios, and public schools both private and public.
The Westside Dance Program offers students a wide variety of dance styles and techniques. Students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to study dance as part of their academic program fulfilling fine art, physical education, or elective credit. Courses are structured from NDEO and TEA dance curriculum guidelines.
Inertia has become an integral and respected program, not only in HISD but the Houston dance scene. Inertia strives to achieve:
Creative and entertaining body of work guided by the mission of Inertia
Educating young men and women from various walks of life about discipline and excellence in the classroom.
Collaborating with other artists and companies including, but not limited to musicians, lighting designers, costume designers, set designers, filmmakers, and other choreographers.
Offering teaching and choreographic opportunities at festivals, studios, and public schools both private and public.
Inertia aspires to create the total theater experience that is satisfying to the most existential mind while also being compelling to the general audience. What makes the Inertia program unique is the integration of technology in our classrooms, class projects and theater productions, given that Westside High School is a magnet school for integrated technology.
Giuliana Velez
Artistic Director
Giuliana Velez is a movement artist, choreographer, and educator based in Houston, Texas. While receiving her BFA in Dance from the University of Texas at Austin, she performed works and received instruction from Gesel Mason, Claudia Lavista, Aysha Upchurch, Teena Marie Custer, and more. She has been honored to work as an Artist in Residence for Project Row Houses, and present work all throughout the nation.
Giuliana’s movement practice is rooted in versatility, curiosity, and cultural preservation- spanning street, contemporary, hip hop, Latin, and modern dance vocabularies. Her artistic inquiry centers on bridging the divide between street and concert dance worlds, advocating for the representation and celebration of Black dance forms within institutional spaces. Giuliana’s choreographic work often incorporates collaboration, improvisation, and storytelling across live performance and digital platforms. Her recent works have been presented at the Cohen New Works Festival (2025) and Mind the Gap (2025), alongside recent performances at the Barnstorm Dance Festival and the FIFA World Cup™ in Houston (2026). As her practice continues to evolve, she remains dedicated to challenging traditional hierarchies in dance and cultivating spaces where underrepresented forms thrive and transform the stage. Through her role in education, she aims to develop not only exceptional dancers, but well-rounded, thoughtful individuals prepared to excel in higher education and beyond.
Antonio Olivares
Assistant Director
Born and raised in Houston Texas, “Mr. O” is an Inertia alumnus who graduated in 2016. Antonio comes from a family of three older sisters who all went through the Inertia Dance program which inspired him to follow their same footsteps. Olivares began his dance journey as an 8th grader at West Briar Middle School and continued to further his dance education as an Inertian. Through the Inertia program, “Mr. O” learned a multitude of things. After he graduated he knew he wanted to be a director and choreographer because of the instruction he received. One of the things Antonio Olivares is most thankful for is the ability to carry on the Inertia Dance Company legacy. He looks forward to helping and inspiring the next generation of dancers.
INERTIA COMPANY DANCERS
2025 - 2026
INERTIA JV DANCERS
2025 - 2026
