Dance Company diligently practices one of their numbers during extensive rehearsals last weekend.
As the Student Dance Concert rehearsal began, the Paul Mellon Arts Center buzzed with energy and resonated with music. The dancers, decked in all-black and accented with touches of color, moved to the rhythm of the beat.
On Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16, the annual Student Dance Concert premieres at 7:30 on the PMAC main stage. The hour-long concert is the fruit of the progression and achievement of the dancers, who honed their skills and perfected their movement, through weekly practices since fall term.
Comprised of Dance Company, Hip Hop Club, Step Squad and Winter Dance, the Dance Concert features a variety of performances, with the prevalence of Dance Company, a group of student choreographers and dancers. Step Squad, and Hip Hop Club, both student-led clubs, perform one piece each. Winter Dance also makes an appearance with a piece that is collaboratively choreographed by all the students in the class. The show even features two pieces choreographed by Arts Center Director, Ms. Kalya Yannatos, titled “Magnifica” and “Web,” which celebrate the beauty of nature and the interconnection of our society. The dances are elegant, dramatic and full of fresh, vibrant energy.
As rehearsals commenced, stress levels were high, but anxiety was alleviated when the music began. The opening piece is titled “El Hombre Azúcar,” a dance to Christina Aguilera’s song “Candy Man,” is choreographed by Kate Newhouse ’18. Newhouse says, “I just wanted people to have fun. I wanted the dancers to enjoy dancing it, and for the audience to feel its energy.” The piece is fresh and positive, and its burlesque vibe captures the essence of fun.
This year-long commitment culminates the skill and hard work of the students: Dancers attend Dance Company workshops, choreographers audition for their piece to be featured, and the casting begins. Ms. Emily Lutin, the Dance Company instructor, coordinates the concert along with Ms. Yannatos.
The Student Dance Concert features a variety of dance styles. “Every piece is so different, that is what makes it so interesting. There is stylistic diversity. The concert is a collaborative piece, taking from each dancer’s strength, and putting it all together,” claimed Ms. Lutin.
One particular piece, “With Water,” choreographed by Zemia Edmondson ’16, Co-President of Dance Company, is inherently striking. The dance is to the song “Jazz,” by Mick Jenkins. Edmondson said, “I chose it because I really liked the music. It’s a cover of Britney Spears’s ‘Toxic.’ Although it’s a rap, it’s contrasted with a light backtrack.”
She continued, “I then thought of the movement. I wanted the dance to flow through the contrasts in the music. I wanted the piece to be a juxtaposition of smooth and sharp movements. I wanted it to convey that our world exists in dualities. At Choate, when opinions are pushed to the extremes, differences are often demonized.” The piece speaks of the acceptance of legitimacy and the value of differing opinions.
Ms. Yannatos, whose enthusiasm continues to awe our campus, stated, “Dance, to me, is as important as sleeping, breathing and eating. It is my life. Everyone should see the concert because it celebrates beauty, strength and life.” Inspired by Albert Einstein’s quote “Dancers are the athletes of God,” Yannatos said, “The dancers are the perfect combination of artistic expression and athletic strength.” Ms. Lutin added, “The concert celebrates the students’ hard work and commitment to dance. They have grown so much, not just as dancers, but as human beings.”
So head down to the PMAC on tonight or tomorrow evening to watch our peers excel in the Student Dance Concert.
