The largest and most awe-inspiring dance show of the year had its opening night on March 22. The concert embraced all levels, styles, and types of dances that dedicated Choate dancers and choreographers had to offer. This time, there was a Sunday matinée in addition to the traditional Friday and Saturday evening shows because of the show’s popularity in previous years. The dancers had been working towards this show since September, and despite having to jump right into a hectic tech week after spring break, they delivered a strong performance yet again.
What makes Dance Company unique is that it includes students with all kinds of dance experience. Dance Company co-president, Sadie Jackson ’19, shared her dance background, stating, “I danced classical ballet since I was two, and after coming to Choate, I’m doing many more styles such as jazz and contemporary. I joined Dance Company freshman year, so I’ve been in it all four years of my Choate career.” Amisha Iyer ’19, who has been dancing since she was three years old, said, “I started out with ballet then added on tap, jazz, and contemporary. Then, I did some competitive dancing in Singapore, which is where I’m from. At Choate, I did Dance Intensive, which is when you do dance as a sport after school, and Dance Company, which is an extracurricular activity that takes place on Sundays.”
At the same time, there are numerous brave new dancers who have only danced for a few years or even just a few months., Yet, they show just as much effort during practices to improve their technique and exude brilliant passion for dance. Ethan Luk ’20 explained, “I have always loved dance as an art form but it wasn’t until sophomore year that I started dancing seriously. I joined Dance Company my sophomore fall and joined technique classes in ballet, contemporary, and jazz my sophomore winter.” Luk also spent his free time in the following summer taking dance lessons and choreographing for this year’s concert.
Serena Song ’22 did not invest a lot of time in dance before Choate, but she said, “Through putting new dancers directly into the choreography, we are able to learn from very experienced dancers as well as having a feeling of what it’s like to be in a complete and professional dance show.” Director of the Arts Kalya Yannatos remarked, “It’s a real range of experience level on the stage. Other schools would probably only put out the most experienced dancers, but we don’t do that. I’m so proud of those kids who are so brave and come out alongside those who have been dancing all their lives. You see a difference, but you also see the commonality which is that everybody has worked equally hard for this moment. I think this really speaks to who we are as a community, and it’s very special.”
The Dance Concert featured Dance Company, Hip Hop, Dance History class, Step Squad, and Faculty Reps, which were dances choreographed by faculty members. Talented student choreographers also worked with their dancers within limited time slots every week for two terms to put together their dances. Di’Anna Bonomolo ’20 choreographed Disconnect to music by her favorite artist, The Weeknd. She said, “I tried to have the audience have their own interpretations when watching it. My dance connects to the feelings inside that you can’t say or showcase in terms of anxiety and depression. It’s like having a war in your head. That’s what my dance is about.”
In regards to Amisha Iyer ’19’s dance, The Greatest Show, she said, “I decided to choreograph a jazz dance because jazz isn’t a genre that’s found as much at Choate. I was really inspired by the movie The Greatest Showman to create an energetic and colorful piece.”
When discussing his inspirations for his dance, Icarus, Luk explained, “I am very inspired by Greek myths and Biblical stories because they always reveal deep human truths and are the most original stories that served as the social glue among disparate groups of people. I was also inspired by the idea of flight, which lead to me to a lot of research in Leonardo da Vinci’s early sketches of planes, National Geographic videos on how birds fly and the patterns of migration, and a lot of Ancient Greek and Renaissance paintings and sculptures such as the works of Michelangelo, Botticelli, Caravaggio, and Raphael. When I dance, I always feel like I’m flying because I am able to move however I like.”
Before the show, Dance Company co-president Zinny Calixte ’19 said, “I’m so excited for the show, and I hope that the dancers feed off of the energy that the audience is giving them.” Calixte revealed that many dancers, including herself, were injured or physically strained from an intense tech week, but they still persist through the show. Jackson said, “Dancing is like my little escape. At Choate, it’s crazy busy, but dance is the place I go where nothing is happening except for dance. Everyone in dance is super supportive, and we become really close. We are like a big family.”
The audience adored the show and was deeply inspired by the powerful talent onstage. Skylar Hansen-Raj ’20 expressed, “The energy of the dancers and brilliance of the student choreographers made for an entertaining and wonderful show.” Blanca Payne ’20 said, “I thought the show this year had brilliant expression, creativity, and love for dance. They did such a great job of exploring and presenting something with complete honesty. I’m so happy and proud of all the dancers.”
