This year, AVPA Dance held their fall dance concert “Elements” in the Robert Frost Auditorium, from November 16-18, 2023. The dancers originally wanted to express elements of fire, water, and air, but along the way, they found elements of dance and sleep.
The show was composed of 12 performances from various different styles, each giving the audience a different feeling, from energetic, to fun, to relaxing, and many more. Some were choreographed by Ms. Zee, the creative director for dance, and others were by students.
The performances were:
Ignite: Choreographed by Ellie Lopez and Sarah Rauschuber
House Grooves: Choreographed by Ms. Zee
Golden Hour: Solo by Signe Berg
Libertango: Choreographed by Ms. Zee
Traitor: Choreographed by Ms. Zee, 4th Period Dance I Class
Girls Time: Choreographed by Re’Anna Rowe
Dream State: Choreographed by Ms. Zee
Petrichor: Solo by Naomi Gibbs Zehnder
Mirrorball: Choreographed by Nava Waisman
Everything Matters: Choreographed by Signe Berg
Them There Eyes: Choreographed by Ms. Zee, 5th Period Dance I Class
Choreomania: Choreographed by Naomi Gibbs Zehnder
The final moments of the “Elements” Dance Concert. (Video by Aakriti Shaw)
Re’Anna Rowe, who choreographed “Girls Time,” said she was very proud after her performance, especially since a lot of parents had praised her for her work. When asked about how it was coming up with the steps, she said she focused on everyone’s individual dancing styles and what worked best for everyone. Rowe also said she found inspiration in one particular pop icon, as inspiration is often at the forefront of many directors’ efforts when creating choreography.
“Beyoncé would be my inspiration!” Rowe said. “I would recommend AVPA Dance to everyone because it is very fun, and I always look forward to it. We also have a lot of people who’ve never danced in their life, but we all help each other out.”
Nava Waisman, who choreographed “Mirrorball,” also expressed her appreciation to be able to choreograph her own piece in the concert. “AVPA has given me a space to express myself through dance, to convey a message through my creativity,” Waisman said. The opportunity to choreograph and help lead the company to execute such a fabulous show was a joy!”
Sign Berg, who got a solo piece and choreographed “Everything Matters,” says, “My experience with dance this year has been a really positive one. I’ve really loved making choreography for others, and seeing it on stage for the first time during the show was amazing. While it’s always stressful preparing for showtime, it’s also really cool to have so many people bringing together the dancing, the costumes, the lighting, and the music all to make the show, which is something I find really special about dance. Right now, I’m excited to see what my fellow dancers do next year for the Spring show, and I think it will be pretty fun.”
This show also included a sneak peek of what is to come in the spring from Ms. Zee’s 4th and 5th period Dance I classes. This was made up of some volunteers who showed a little bit of what they had learned in class.
Ms. Zee said she is very proud of all of the dancers, choreographers, and stage crew members who made this show possible. This is also the best crowd that they’ve had since 2018.
Look out for the Spring Dance Concert, from March 21-23 in 2024.
