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Choreographed by St. John’s students

By Maggie Hester, age 15 | February 27, 2023

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Erin Bray, Addy McKenney, Mia Basu, Kate Lu, Nadiya Naehr

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 at St. John’s School, a hush fell over the crowd. The St. John’s dance program is filled with immense talent, and these dancers had worked tirelessly since August to produce the Student Choreography Showcase (STUCHO). On the evening of January 6, 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 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 final dance paid homage to the 2023 senior dance class. Music varying from Amy Winehouse to Beyoncé to Lorde aided the dancers with their storytelling and performances. Along with the dancers and choreographers, the lighting designers put on a show. Their talents with lighting made stunning moments even more breathtaking.

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’m 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 her dancers, saying, “I would teach people before school, during free periods, or after school. I also had a group chat that I would communicate with them through.”

Josie choreographed the opening piece 0122 and helped choreograph the senior tribute piece SKA. “We 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.”

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