Student Choreographers at SJS Steal the Show

The lights went dim. Suddenly, the music played and dancers in bright costumes emerged onto the stage, leaping and turning, as the audience beamed with joy. Backstage, the choreographers admired the beautiful pieces they created. 

Each year, St. John’s provides its dance students an opportunity to choreograph a piece for the Student Choreography Showcase (STUCHO). Students who are interested in choreographing for the show began the process by attending a choreography workshop in the fall, in which they experimented with different choreography techniques, such as direction and level changes. Shortly after the workshop, choreographers selected their music and dancers and began creating their individual pieces.

Sophomores Luciana Owsley and Addy McKenney are suspended in an arabesque as they perform “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish.

At the end of October, choreographers and their dancers attended an adjudication, where two dance professionals outside of the St. John’s community watched a short preview of each dance. These adjudicators took detailed notes and provided each choreographer with feedback on how to improve their dances. The feedback was extremely helpful, as it allowed the choreographers to gain an outsider's perspective on their pieces. The choreographers then worked tirelessly to take the adjudicators’ comments into consideration, modifying the movements as needed.

Mia Basu (10), Sophia Chon (10), Olivia Doan (12), Dian Yu (12), and Sue Lyn Roberts (11) flawlessly execute a lift in their performance of “Already Gone” by Kelly Clarkson.

Choreographing the dance itself was only one step in the process. Choreographers also met with lighting designers to select the colors and patterns to exquisitely highlight their pieces, and they chose appropriate costumes from a wide selection available at St. John’s. 

Yara Kirkwood (10), Ella Rose (11), Isabella Gidi (11), Aspen Collins (11), and Gabriella Saadia (10) lift Kate Lu (10) as she holds a steering wheel in their performance of “Hard Feelings” by Lorde.

Finally, after months of hard work, tech week took place between Jan. 4-7. On Tuesday and Wednesday, dancers focused on altering their spacing to adapt to the stage. Thursday was a dress rehearsal, in which the dancers ran through the entire show twice, using full costumes, makeup, and lighting. On Friday, Jan. 8, the dancers and choreographers were thoroughly prepared to put on a phenomenal show, comprised of eight unique dances exhibiting a variety of styles, such as jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. As the audience trickled in, the dancers hurriedly pinned up stray hairs and applied another coat of lipstick before eagerly emerging onto the stage. After the show, the dancers and choreographers were greeted with flowers and showered with compliments for their impressive work. 

The choreographers benefited greatly from this opportunity, as they were able to glance into life as a choreographer rather than simply a dancer. The experience allowed dancers to step out of their comfort zone and try something many of them had never done before – create a dance completely from scratch. The next time I watch a dance performance, I will certainly consider the choreographer's point of view.