Promposals are a big thing every year. Flash mobs, songs, confetti, and even dance are all part of wooing your perfect prom date. Promposals are by default pretty grand, but how many people deliver their promposals on stage? That’s exactly what 18-year-old Yahir Yepez did when he asked 18-year-old Kiara Recio to prom at Showstopper’s San Antonio Regionals this year. With the help of Showstopper host Julian Thorne and some dancers from Kiara’s studio, Force Dance Studio, Yahir surprised Kiara with a prom invite she’ll remember forever.
Kiara and Yahir have been dating for the last two years, and prom was one of their last big moments of high school before graduation at the end of May. Kiara has been dancing for six years both at her studio and for her high school dance team the Lariettes. Being a graduating senior at Regionals is a big deal, but even Kiara didn’t expect this kind of surprise. “It was very unexpected for me to be asked to prom at ShowStopper,” she told us. “It all started when my solo awards were about to begin and my dance teacher/studio owner Joey Arispe pulled me aside to tell me he needed to talk.”
Joey pulled Kiara aside minutes before awards were about to start. Something you need to know about Kiara is that she is a kind of caretaker and mentor for the younger girls on her dance team. So, when Joey told her that two girls got into a fight and were planning to quit, Kiara was freaking out (though she was a little suspicious that Joey kept looking back at the stage). “I asked if he was okay and he said he ‘just wanted to make sure my awards weren’t starting yet.’ So I blew it off but was still extremely worried that these two girls were quitting because of my poor guidance.”
Of course, there hadn’t been a fight and no one was quitting the team. Joey soon let Kiara run to awards, but when she got back to the stage someone else was waiting for her. “I remember seeing my boyfriend, Yahir, walking on the stage,” she said. “I asked my director why in the world he would be on stage. He looked at me with a big smile and told me to listen, so I did. All of a sudden butterflies filled my stomach and tears rushed down my face. I see my friends on stage with five posters that spelled ‘PROM?’. It was genuinely one of the best moments in my life. Overall, it was an experience I’ll never forget. I don’t think it could have been any more amazing thanks to Showstopper!”
Yahir isn’t a dancer. His hobbies include basketball and video games, but he knows how important dance is to Kiara. In fact, he initially asked her out after a Larriettes practice. (That was a big gesture, too, and Yahir even had Kiara’s mom help with that poster!) “I had the idea to ask Kiara to prom at Showstopper’s regional competition; especially being that it is her favorite competition,” Yahir shared. “Luckily, I had the help of her dance director and many others. I designed and worked on the ‘PROM?’ posters a week prior to the competition.”
The day of, Yahir was, of course nervous. There were going to be a lot of people there! “When I got told to be prepared to go up on stage my nerves went crazy,” he said. “I remember Julian Thorn announcing my name and giving me the opportunity to ask out Kiara to prom. With the small confidence I had, I spoke up and asked Kiara to be my date to prom. Seeing her get emotional made it all worth it in the end. I felt so much better when Kiara went up on stage and hugged me. This moment was even more special thanks to Julian Thorn and his inspiring words to us.”
Everyone that saw the promposal was excited for the couple. Yahir shared that as they were leaving the competition, someone randomly congratulated them and said, “Good job, Prom Boy,” to Yahir which has since stuck as a nickname. “The whole experience was a dream come true and I wouldn’t have wanted it any different,” Yahir said.
Kiara and Yahir have both graduate high school, but they told us that they had a great time at prom. “Prom night was filled with beautiful moments! We didn’t want the night to come to an end! It was such a fun experience and we danced all night long!” They told us. “On behalf of both of us and the Force Dance Studio family, we would like to thank ShowStopper & Julian Thorn from the bottom of our hearts for making this magical moment possible!”
Both Kiara and Yahir plan on attending Laredo College in the fall. Kiara wants major in fire science to pursue her dream as a fire arson investigator. Yahir is undecided but will likely follow his passions for math and science when he chooses his major.
