By Eliana Li ’26
“It’s my favorite time of the year,” Kaho Hoshi ’25 said. From March 22-24, Choate held its annual Dance Concert, showcasing the culmination of a year’s worth of hard work and dedication. This year’s concert featured 16 pieces choreographed by both students and dance faculty and performances by members of Dance Company, Step Squad, Hip-Hop Club, and SYNK.
The Dance Concert had been in the works since Dance Company rehearsals began in the fall. The club rehearsed from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Sunday. During each 40-minute block, choreographers taught dancers fragments of their pieces and provided feedback.
When asked about her artistic process, Dance teacher and choreographer Ms. Angharad Davies said, “Every choreographer will have a different way of teaching, but I will often give a task to the dancer and … have the student improvise with that task.” Head of Dance, Dance teacher, and a faculty advisor to Dance Company Ms. Pamela Newell added, “I love to do more experimentation in the early process, letting the dancers play with some images and letting them create little movement sequences. But once we start to form what’s gonna happen, rehearsal becomes a combination of putting together those specific ideas.”
On the other hand, Step Squad Captain Athena Robinson ’24 outlined her group’s rehearsal process. “The whole club comes together in the Black Box, and it’s essentially just sheet-teaching steps or dances,” she said.
Choreographers put in considerable effort outside of running rehearsals to organize the concert successfully. “On stage, all of my props looked perfect and good as new, but they were breaking every day and were held together by superglue,” Choreographer Kay Lee ’25 said. “Every night, I would go back into my room, superglue my fans, and dry them in all sorts of weird angles, but that’s just part of the role of being a choreographer.”
The choreographers of the various pieces walked away from the experience with invaluable knowledge. “I’ve learned to adapt and also just to have fun, letting people have their own personal touch,” Robinson said. Choreographer Nao Murata ’25 agreed, saying, “I’ve learned how to keep my rehearsals fun because, at the end of the day, I want my dancers to enjoy dancing.”
Rehearsals continued until the week leading up to the concert, when Tech Week (March 17-22) officially began. Tech Week “is all about getting on stage and seeing the pieces on stage,” Robinson said. Every day that week from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the dancers ran through their pieces on stage and made corrections to certain steps and formations.
Choreographers also had separate meetings to ensure the lighting and sound matched their vision. “At first, it was really scary, doing whatever pieces you’re in for the first time on stage in front of everyone else in Dance … There were lots of mistakes on that first day, and it was a little daunting,” Co-President of Dance Company Marissa Jacobs ’24 said. Hoshi agreed, sharing, “It was definitely hectic and a lot of work, but I think all the dancers agreed that it paid off in the end.”
The culmination of their hard work officially began on Friday, March 22: the opening night ofthe Dance Concert. The dancers and choreographers began getting ready for their performances two hours before showtime, and the atmosphere in the dressing rooms was electric; dancers were filled with excitement and anticipation. “Before every show, we all collectively got ready in the dressing rooms. I would bring my speaker, and we would play some really fun music like Beyoncé and Rihanna,” Lee said. “We were always taking pictures, making TikToks, doing each other’s makeup and hair,” Murata added. Right before the curtains rose, the dancers gathered together to do “The Shakedown,” a warm-up in which dancers shook their bodies to loosen up and get rid of their nerves.
During the concert, backstage was lively and full of camaraderie. Whether it was helping another dancer put on a costume, fixing hair and makeup, or tying a shoe between dances, “We’re always trying to help support each other,” Robinson said. “People would be in the wings, cheering really loud and watching each other on the monitor screen,” Dancer and choreographer Laya Raj ’24 shared.
The Dance Concert featured a variety of dance styles ranging from hip-hop to contemporary. Some memorable pieces included “Enter…Exi(s)t,” choreographed by Ms. Newell and “Our Symphony,” choreographed by Libby Dai ’25.
“Enter…Exi(s)t” caught the eyes of many audience members with its incorporation of moving doors as a prop. “I was interested in this idea of entering and exiting or being prevented from going somewhere. Wanting to go somewhere but then having regrets afterward … Some of the themes that we worked on were reluctance and resistance to opportunities that come up for us,” Ms. Newell said. “It was a very creative piece that I felt had a lot of meaning behind it,” Dancer Emma Schwerin ’26 echoed.
“Our Symphony,” a lyrical piece, was another dance that left a lasting mark on this year’s Dance Concert viewers. Inspired by students’ journeys at Choate, “Our Symphony” was about finding family and a sense of belonging. “It makes me want to cry every time I watch it,” Robinson said.
This year’s Dance Concert was nothing short of incredible. The dancers certainly succeeded in showcasing their talent, hard work, and dedication to their craft. “I was just so impressed with their dedication. To my dancers, to all of the dancers, you all amaze me,” Ms. Davies said.
