(Top) Ms. Lynn Peterson teaches Upper-level Contemporary class.
(Bottom) Ms. Ricki Stevenson leads plies in ballet class.
As the curtains rose on the 2022-2023 school year, dancers met with two new dance faculty members: Ms. Ricki Stevenson and Ms. Lynn Peterson. With Ms. Stevenson teaching ballet and Ms. Peterson teaching contemporary dance, the two are exciting new additions to Choate’s dance program.
Ms. Stevenson has always been naturally drawn to dance. From studying ballet throughout her childhood to performing nationally on her collegiate dance team and teaching at various professional studios, her passion for dance is evident. “It’s just that element of exertion that’s enlivening, but also the fact that you can just really express who you are,” she said.
Ms. Peterson has danced professionally for over 20 years, with extensive training in American modern dance. Inspired by the work and legacies of Jose Limon, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and other pioneers of modern dance, Ms. Peterson co-founded the Syren Dance Company in 2003. Based in New York, the group has performed internationally, including in France and Dubai.
Although Ms. Stevenson’s time teaching at Choate has been relatively short, her experience has been positive. She particularly enjoys the incorporation of live music in her classes. Mr. Bob Bergner’s piano accompaniment allows for a unique level of flexibility during group classes because the tempo can be adjusted to accommodate certain combinations and better serve the dancers.
In her Multi-level Ballet class, she often focuses on a specific technique, which she then develops throughout the class. For example, balance exercises at the barre at the beginning of class help prepare dancers for turns later in the center. While working to perfect all aspects of technique is the goal in ballet, dancers receive a more tangible indicator of improvement when Mr. Stevenson identifies a specific focus for dancers.
On Thursdays, Ms. Peterson teaches the Upper-level Contemporary Dance class. She first guides students through “a foundation technical warmup,” which includes movements that mirror ballet and provide the strength and technique necessary for combinations after the warmup. “To then apply those to contemporary dance movement sentences or phrase work that ask our bodies to go off balance, go upside down, curve your spine, [and] do all these things in the blink of an eye, requires a lot of tools and a lot of training,” she said.
Ms. Stevenson also offers private ballet lessons at Choate to provide students with more personalized coaching and more targeted feedback. With a background in physical therapy, she is able to make specific adjustments and corrections.
Lucy LaPlaca ’26, who attends private lessons once a week, recalled, “When I go into ballet class now, I’m thinking about her corrections and making sure I’m doing things right, even if she’s not teaching it.”
For the Spring Dance Concert, Ms. Peterson is choreographing a piece that consists of excerpts from “Red and Blue, and Bitter and Sweet,” a dance originally performed by Syren in 2017. While the original was over 30 minutes long and consisted of only five people, her adaptation will be a fraction of the time with at least double the number of dancers. The piece explores the intersections between science and dance, particularly focusing on quantum mechanics. Libby Dai ’25, a dancer in this piece, commented, “I think she’s a very authentic choreographer.”
While Ms. Stevenson will not be choreographing for the Spring Dance Concert, her impact on the performers will be apparent in their technique. Ms. Peterson’s choreography will make an exhilarating Choate debut on the Dance Concert, especially with her dancers being supplemented by her weekly contemporary class. Ms. Stevenson and Ms. Peterson’s contributions, backgrounds, and dedication to portraying their love for dance to Choate students mark an exciting start to the year.
