This year, the phrase “dance like nobody’s watching” takes on a whole new meaning for Choate dancers. After a slew of sudden Covid-19-related cancellations in the spring term, the dance program is back on its feet (or tiptoes, perhaps) this fall with remote rehearsals and choreographies specifically designed for virtual performances.
Since September, all dance classes and rehearsals have been held online through Zoom. Instead of dancing together in the Colony Hall Dance Studio, students attend classes alone in their dorm rooms or bedrooms — in many cases hundreds or thousands of miles away from each other.
Graphic by Tony Lee/The Choate News
But what happens when a 4:00 p.m. practice at Choate is at 4:00 a.m. for dancers in Asia? It’s a challenge that Jenny Guo ’21 and Madison Lee ’22, who are from Hong Kong and Seoul, respectively, have taken into their own hands. Instead of skipping rehearsals completely, the two dance leaders are teaching their own classes twice a week at times more accessible for international dancers. Guo’s class centers around contemporary dance, while Lee’s focuses on ballet.
“I’m very excited about the project,” Guo said. “I like the opportunity to extend the dance program outside of the Choate campus and to be able to share it with different students all over the world.”
Dancers have also had to make practical changes regarding the way they learn choreography. Mirielle Ma ’21, a Dance Company Leader who is choreographing a dance en pointe — a special form of ballet — takes an asynchronous approach when relaying choreography to her dancers. “I’ve been recording little clips of me doing choreography in my basement or outside and then sending it to my dancers and asking them to learn in whatever way possible — in their own rooms or whatever space they can get,” Ma said.
The virtual nature of dance rehearsals also allows dancers to explore aspects of the craft that they’d previously left untouched. For example, some dancers are choreographing what they call “screen dances” — pre-recorded dances that will eventually be shown alongside in-person dances at the concert next spring.
Laya Raj ’24, a third-former who joined Dance Company this year, has enjoyed the opportunity to work with “video as a medium” during virtual practices. She said of combining cinematography with dance, “We’ve been working on getting really close to the camera, then moving far away, and then entering the frame again.”
While dancers have found innovative ways to continue practicing together despite the miles of distance between one another, some of the dance program’s traditions have been difficult to replicate virtually. Dance leaders are trying to reimagine some of Dance Company’s most cherished traditions in an online setting — such as the company’s first meeting of the year, which is often a memorable moment for new and returning dancers alike.
“Usually we’d be sitting in a circle in the dance studio and introducing ourselves … this year, it was pretty weird seeing everyone’s faces on a Zoom screen,” Guo said. “However, it’s tradition, and it was nice to have that sense of community again.”
The dance leaders have also been focused on ensuring new students are warmly welcomed into the program. Ma said, “We’ve been hosting these little dance parties, where we invite all of the freshmen to come on Zoom. We talk to them and show them clips of our old shows.”
Raj, who joined the program this September, has enjoyed her experience so far, though she’s still getting to know everybody. “I don’t really know much about everyone’s personalities yet, but I think I know them as dancers now,” she said.
Despite the obstacles the dance programs faced this fall, Ma treasured small moments when she got to spend time with fellow dancer leaders on Zoom.
“The Dance Company presidents and I spent, like, four hours one Sunday morning on Zoom putting together cast lists,” she said. “It just felt like what dance used to be. All of us are such good friends, and we would spend so much time talking.”
This fall, the dance program is planning to perform for the first time since winter term last year. Traditionally, Student Choreographed Scenes (SCS) takes place every December, but this year, the dance performance will debut in November due to the remote learning schedule. The program leaders also hope to be able to put on the annual dance concert in late spring.
