Dancers Grace the Stage for Parent’s Weekend
On Friday evening, the Theater and Dance Department hosted its annual Family Weekend Dance Class Demonstrations on the Assembly Hall stage. Onstage, the dancers amazed fellow students and family members alike with vignettes of the ballet, modern, jazz and improvisational work from their classes.
Both the advanced and intermediate dance groups gave the audience a glimpse of the work they had done so far this year. Each demonstrated a sampling of the three dance forms while director of dance Sarah Duclos guided the night with brief explanations of the pieces.
In leotards and tights, the dancers first appeared on stage to perform their ballet routines. Described by Duclos as “Latin to language,” ballet is at the core of Exeter’s dance curriculum. Dancing the Adagio, as well as the sprightly Petit Allegro, the performers glided across the Assembly Hall stage with grace and ease.
After a costume change and a new music setlist, the dancers began their exhibition of modern dance. In line with the stylistic freedom emblematic of the modern style itself, the dancers discarded their ballet slippers and performed barefoot on the finished wood stage.
Once they finished their modern routines, the dancers slowed their tempo and transitioned to jazz. The choreography began with the dancers’ heads down on the stage, giving the performers the sense of being “alone in the spotlight.” The same routine was performed two times through, with different pieces of music to demonstrate the flexibility of choreography when paired with new music.
Upper Leila Connolly, who attended the show, said that “it was interesting to see how the feel of the choreography could change, and the dancers did a great job at expressing themselves.”
Not only were the jazz pieces a crowd-favorite, but the dancers themselves preferred to perform them. Because the nature of the genre is spunkier and upbeat, many performers noticed they had more fun. “I liked the jazz part because it had a little sass,” senior Ellie Ward said.
The dancers were not the only ones passionate about jazz. Last summer, Duclos went to a Giordano jazz workshop in Chicago and returned in the fall ready to teach her students what she had learned.
Upper Eliza Khokar, who danced in the show, was excited to learn Duclos’ new approach to jazz. “I think it shows the growth and improvement occurring in the dance department since, after two years of advanced dance here, I’m still learning new and interesting techniques,” she said. “The showcase was a way for our parents to see that.”
Many audience members enjoyed the interactive and live nature of the event. In between dances, Duclos had the performers demonstrate specific techniques or dance forms on the spot. “The introductions by Ms. Duclos preceding the dances were helpful for the audience, especially anyone with little background in dance,” Connolly said.
Though the show seemed to run smoothly from the audience’s perspective, some dancers felt it could have been improved with more practice time. “We would have been more ready if we had rehearsed on the stage more,” prep Samantha Resnick said.
Khokar echoed Resnick’s sentiments. “I think the showcase went well—it wasn't a perfect performance because there wasn't a lot of time to prepare for it, but everyone put a good effort in to learn the pieces and make it happen.”
Despite the short time frame, dance instructor Amberlee Darling is proud of her students’ performance. “Family Day comes quickly during fall trimester and our students have worked hard to put together a professional and fun showcase in a short amount of time.” she said.
Darling’s sentiments were shared by the audience as well. Dancers and choreographers received great feedback about the showcase, especially from proud family members. “My parents were happy to see the progress I have made. They said they enjoyed the program and learned a lot about different styles of dancing,” prep Bella Alvarez, who danced in the show, said. Senior Alyse Clinton, sister of prep dancer Charlie Clinton said, “Judging from what I saw, [the dance program seems] to be a good way to teach kids about dance styles and movement, as well as just keeping kids active. I was truly impressed by a lot of the students.”
Even audience members less acquainted with dance left the showcase with a new appreciation for Exeter’s program. “I learned that dance was a lot more than just a physical movement of the body. The dance program seems like more fun and more work than I had originally thought,” upper Sydney McKiernan said.
Resnick was also delighted by the opportunity to showcase her work in all three disciplines and looked forward to growing even more as a dancer throughout the coming weeks in the dance program. “My favorite part was just being able to dance ballet, modern and jazz all in one performance because in the past I’ve only been trained as a ballet dancer. At Exeter, I’m learning how to be more of a well-rounded dancer.”