Poly senior Hampton Persaud can be found dancing in the Garland dance studio, perfecting a piano piece in the choral room or gracing the Garland stage. Persaud enjoys many forms of art and first started acting in musicals at her elementary school, The Learning Castle, where she fell in love with the stage. Her first passion, however, was music.
“Music is my foundation,” Persaud shared. “I started playing piano when I was four. And from singing in my school’s chorus, I would create stories and music, which naturally led to me being involved in musicals. From elementary to middle school, I did musicals.”
Not only is Persaud a talented dancer, she uses her artistic skills to choreograph pieces for Poly’s dance department. “I knew I always wanted to choreograph,” Persaud said.
She first fully choreographed a piece during her sophomore year in the dance department’s “Work In Progress” show. In the show, the dance classes perform what they’ve been working on since the fall dance concert. In Poly’s fall dance concert, “Epiphany,” Persaud choreographed the first piece of the show to “4 minutes” by Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.
Performing Arts teacher Danielle Pigneri spoke highly of Persaud’s choreographic vision. “Hampton’s choreography is deeply influenced by music, with her strong sense of musicality guiding her movement choices. While working with her on her piece for the dance concert, I saw her vision come to life. The dancers truly enjoyed performing her choreography, making it a fun and exciting start to the show. It was inspiring to see Hampton confidently lead the entire cast in bringing her artistic vision to the stage.”
“When I am listening to music and closing my eyes, I am always envisioning movement or acting, so when Ms. Pigneri asked the class, ‘Who wants to choreograph the intro?’ I volunteered. It was a challenge—I had never had to choreograph for 40 people before—but it was so fun. I wanted to capture an early 2000s energy.”
Pigneri also noted Persaud’s strong musical instincts and expressive movement. “Hampton possesses a natural ability as a dancer. Her sense of rhythm allows her to instinctively connect movement to music, enhancing both her performance and artistic expression,” Pigneri said.
In addition to dance, Persaud focuses on screen acting. On weekends, she participates in workshops with casting directors, where she rehearses and films scenes while receiving professional feedback. She frequently auditions for roles and always tries to challenge herself, pushing herself to develop as an artist.
In Persaud’s freshman year at Poly, she acted in the ensemble of “Once Upon A Mattress,” and in her sophomore year, she played the role of Prentiss in “Peter and the Starcatcher.” Her third year, while at Monrovia High School, Persaud acted in the ensemble of “Mean Girls” and played Eileen in “Moon Over Buffalo.” This year, she was back on the Garland stage acting as Pavel in “The Sneeze,” and she will be playing Eddie in “Mamma Mia!” this spring.
Hampton supports her fellow artists in the Vocal Ensemble and performs in numerous Cabaret Night performances. Additionally, as a Poly Student Arts Council (PASC) member, Persaud sets up Fifth Quarters and is currently working on preparations for the annual PASC Artists’ Assembly, a panel where two or more professional artists share their stories to the upper school. She is also organizing this year’s PASCapalooza, the annual Poly Arts festival on Babcock Field that supports local restaurants and provides Poly artists a space to share their talents on stage.
Beyond her excellent performances, Persaud’s kindness and leadership have left a lasting impact on her fellow performers. Sophomore Sophie Converse, who danced alongside Persaud in “Epiphany” and acted with her in “The Sneeze,” shared, “Hampton is so sweet and caring. If ever you have any problems backstage, she’s so supportive and willing to help. It’s great to perform alongside her and see her shine.”
We are excited to see what the future holds for actress, dancer and musician Hampton Persaud and can’t wait to watch her performance in “Mamma Mia!”
