Choreographed By St. John's Students

DANCING MAVERICKS St. John’s freshman Maggie Hester is a reporter for our online School Buzz blog. Pictured (from left) are Erin Bray, Addy McKenney, Mia Basu, Kate Lu, and Nadiya Naehr performing To Build A Home choreographed by Gabriella Saadia. (Photo:Charles Tsang)

As the lights dimmed in Lowe Theatre the evening of Friday, January 6th, a hush fell over the crowd. The St. John’s dance program is filled with immense talent and has some of the most dedicated dancers in the Houston area. These dancers worked tirelessly since August to produce the Student Choreography Showcase (STUCHO), and now, the moment to perform for the St. John’s community had arrived. STUCHO is the only performance at St. John’s choreographed entirely by the students. Josie Feldman, Sue Lyn Roberts, Kai Gomez, Nadiya Naehr, Gabriella Saadia, Ariana Lee, Aspen Collins, and Ryan Shen choreographed all of the dances displayed at STUCHO. The show consisted of seven dances, each telling a different story ranging from betrayal to the fears that come with growing older. The seventh and final dance paid homage to the 2023 senior dance class. With music varying from Amy Winehouse to Beyoncé to Lorde, the song choices aided the dancers with their storytelling and performances. Along with the dancers and choreographers, the lighting designers put on a show. Their ability to change the lighting to make a stunning moment breathtaking significantly contributed to the overall greatness of STUCHO.

Senior dancer and choreographer Josie Feldman has been a part of STUCHO for the past four years, and says, “It’s always really fun, but it was definitely the most stressful this year because I am a senior so I had more responsibility.” When asked about the choreographing process Josie answered, “I start by picking a song that speaks to me and has a strong beat in the background because I like to choreograph to beats.” Josie also spoke on the importance of working with your dancers saying, “I would teach people before school, during free periods, or after school. I also had a group chat with them that I would communicate with them through.” Josie choreographed the opening piece 0122 but also helped choreograph the senior tribute piece, SKA. “We really just wanted it to be fun and different from previous senior dances. We started with a chair and heel dance and finished with hip hop. It was so much fun because the audience was screaming the whole time, so I definitely think it was a crowd pleaser.” 

The night was a great success. Well attended by St. John’s administration, teachers, support staff, coaches, and students, the supportive Maverick community packed Lowe Theatre. Freshman Erin Bray had been anxiously awaiting STUCHO since the start of the school year. Dance is her passion, and she feels truly alive while performing. “No matter how many times I perform, I still get incredibly nervous because each time it’s a new crowd. This was the first time a lot of my friends and my school community have seen me dance, so I really wanted to put on a good show. The amount of people that showed up… I was just so grateful and appreciative. There’s no way to put into words how happy it made me to see so many people coming out.” If you missed STUCHO, make sure to come out to the spring dance show on April 28 in Lowe Theatre at the St. John’s School to support these incredibly talented dancers.