By: Sarah Lehrich Spread over five locations with twelve different dancers and sixteen separate routines, the 2021 GSE Dance Performance was one to remember. Students from across disciplines spread across the campus, elated to support the dancers and enjoy the show. After many long days of choreographing, practicing, and recording, the dancers put on a powerful and moving performance. Although the performance itself looked effortless, let’s take a look at the immense effort and time that went into the act. First of all, how much time did the dancers have to choreograph, rehearse, and film their dances? Among the dancers, one consensus was clear: time was short. Dancers were definitively given the “prompt” for their performance on Thursday, only two days before the performance itself. The performance was on Saturday (7/3), and at Governor’s School, everything moves a bit faster. Dancers describe finishing choreography on Friday night, past curfew, and recording dance numbers on Friday and Saturday morning. The dancers were certainly challenged, but they pulled together and completed their performance with a few hours to spare. In addition to the short timeline of creating the dances, each piece needed to be personal and profound. For their solo performances, each dancer was told to choose a happy memory to reflect in their movements and music. For example, dancer Catherine Lee chose the memory of getting her first dog. She described having wished for a puppy for years, and the joy she experienced when her family adopted one during quarantine. Before the puppy was adopted, the shelter that she was located at also named her Catherine! Another dancer, Kaylee Faison, focused her solo on her first trip to New York City she took with her grandmother as a child. According to Kaylee, “I loved the buzz of the city and how it felt like I belonged there even though I had never been. I was in love with all the bright lights and the billboards...When I saw the dancers and actors on the billboards it gave me inspiration that one day I would live in NYC and possibly be on one of those big billboards...” Kaylee reflected the power of this experience through intricate and reminiscent choreography. The use of experiences such as these added to the emotionality of the performances themselves.
At the performance itself, a video was shown that played each dancer’s solo, the three quartets, and the group performance. Each dancer chose a unique location, song, and specific choreography for their individual performance. A few chose to film their dance outside; among the performances, featured were the gym roof, the colorfully illuminated dance studio, the Meredith tunnel, and the open grass. These differences in location added to the dynamicity of the performance itself, and helped to engage the audience. Additionally, the dancer’s costumes were notable. For the solo and quartet routines, dancers were told to wear normal, pedestrian clothes, ones that best fit their personality and normal style. For the group dance, performers wore long, flowy blue dresses to imitate water and rivers, the theme of the dance. Coupled with the use of colorful LED lighting, the costumes and music made the group performance especially powerful. The succession of solo performances, quartets, and the group number also utilized ideas of individualism and unity. In the quartet numbers, dancers were all dressed differently in a way that reflected themselves as individuals, yet they danced the same movements. Though their appearance differed from each other, they were unified in the boldness and intentionality of their movement. In the group number, though, dancers both dressed the same and did the same movements. This progression of complete individualism in the solo performances to complete unity in the group number was a representation of Governor’s School itself. Although everybody is different in their own ways, we come together in our dedication and passion for the subjects and activities that we love. Also in typical Governor’s School fashion, a question and answer session was offered after the performance. Dancers were present at each location and fielded questions from students in the audience. Many of the questions inquired about the inspiration and creative process behind the dances themselves, along with the differences in dance during the Covid-19 pandemic. The dancers described feeling emotionally trapped from dancing in a mask, and that it was imperative to learn how to express emotions without their face while dancing. This could include the use of only their eyes, further intentionality in their bodily movement, music choice, and more. Although the dancers noted this as a challenge, their individual expression of emotion clearly came through in their performance. Without a doubt, this performance was one that clearly displayed the GSE dancer’s dedication and hard work. Throughout the week, the dancers put every bit of their energy into perfecting their craft. They worked through their free periods, lunch, and even stayed in the studio after curfew to practice and record. This dedication was clearly shown in the final performance. Additionally, the support that fellow students gave the dancers was clear. Nearly every location was filled with students, all excited to see the performance. The post-performance raving continued for days, as students couldn’t shake the power of the event.
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