Hip Service Brings Dance Party to Lake Clementia
Sep 23, 2026 11:53AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter
Singer Mackenzie Hamel and Hip Service’s electric violinist draw the night’s strongest response with their performance of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” Hamel, a Rancho Murieta native who received an ETC scholarship in 2016, performs with Hip Service during the Aug. 22 ETC concert at Lake Clementia Amphitheater. Photo by Gail Bullen
RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Hip Service brought 18 performers, high-energy choreography and music spanning generations to Lake Clementia Amphitheater on Aug. 22, keeping much of the crowd dancing throughout the Entertainment, Theatre and Culture for Rancho Murieta concert.
The Sacramento-based group combined powerhouse vocals with horns, percussion, a rhythm section, dancers and an electric violinist. Its repertoire ranged from Motown and hits of the 1970s and ’80s to contemporary music.
“The crowd was on their feet pretty much the entire night,” ETC President JT Turner said. “People were dancing, singing along and just having a great time.”
The night’s strongest response came when singer Mackenzie Hamel performed ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” accompanied by the violinist. Hamel drew that enthusiastic response before the crowd learned that she was from Rancho Murieta and had received an ETC scholarship in 2016.
Hamel graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 2020 with degrees in English and theater after performing onstage and working behind the scenes in college productions. After returning to Sacramento, she became artistic director of a performing arts preschool. She auditioned for Hip Service in 2023 and began performing with the group the following summer.
“The bonus of having our local girl Mackenzie Hamel up on stage was super special and just topped it all off,” ETC board member Jane Rosetta said.
Before the concert, ETC presented its annual scholarship to Christian Lozada, a Pleasant Grove High School graduate who plans to study computer engineering at Sacramento State while continuing his violin studies and performing with the university orchestra.
The $3,000 award was ETC’s largest scholarship to date. Lozada said years of studying violin taught him discipline, persistence and community engagement: qualities he expects to carry into engineering.
“Not only do you have to be a hard worker, but you also have to be an innovator and try and find ways to improve the world in which we live,” he said.
Last year’s scholarship recipient, Joseph Lew, presented the check to Lozada. ETC also provides grants to local elementary schools for arts, music and drama programs.
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