Director’s Note: It has been another beautiful year as director of Dance Conservatory. Each year brings so much to the school, to the dancers in the company, and to me personally. These six dancers have been incredible to work with, and I am so grateful for them. This show focuses on providing a professional company experience. The choreographers have been spread out over the last year, so the dancers have had to retain repertory while learning and preparing for other performances with different choreography. We started with Sleepwalking in August. Pas De Six was set in September. We then turned our attention to their choreographic projects, which are in our first act. When we returned from NYC, we continued preparing our student works along with attending our state festival where the dancers earned superior ratings in every category on both pieces. The dancers are required to learn quickly, and very little time is spent cleaning the dances as we move right on to the next one. I had the opportunity to once again set work on my company, which they have been so generous in this accelerated process.
Thank you for coming! Please sit up and allow yourself to experience tonight's performance with heightened senses.
GATHERING MOMENTUM PROGRAM INFORMATION
SleepwalkingSource: Macbeth Act 5 Scene 1 Choreographer: Jessica Pace, SPA Dance Faculty Music: “Memory Arc” by Rival Consoles & “Sleepwalk” by Santo and Johny Costumes: Bethany Hansen & Jessica Pace Dancers: Courtney Carpentier, Gray Henry, Ellie Krull, Maggie Merchant, Holly Richards, Shayne Souvall Program Note: This piece explores Lady Macbeth's character arc as a 1950s housewife. Different scenes unfold as she reads the letter from Macbeth, calls on the spirits of darkness, initiates the murder of Duncan, sleepwalks with the imagined blood on her hands, and is finally taken by the darkness she originally summoned. We see her begin the dance in complete control of the spirits of darkness, manipulating them to do her bidding. By the end, they have turned on her, forcing her into madness and her ultimate demise.
Duty-Bound Choreographer: Holly Richard Sound Score: “The Sun Queen” Rok Nardin, Succession Studios Dancers: Gray Henry, Ellie Krull, Holly Richard Program Note: “Only those who do not seek power are qualified to hold it” - Plato. The queen in this dance is worried about stepping into her position, as a huge responsibility will be placed on her shoulders. What if she fails? What if she is hated? What if she doesn’t make the right choice? In this case, the queen has two options: she can abuse her power to gain loyalty from her people, or she can stay true to her values and earn the peoples’ trust the hard way. The easy option would be to gain immediate loyalty - but that might come with its own problems. Although she trusts her gut and chooses the honorable path, she can’t help feeling uncertain about her choice. This piece is a message about power. A position of responsibility can often become overwhelming. When given the choice between an easy but oppressive path and a difficult but fruitful path, it might be more comfortable to choose the easy one. And while we may not all be in positions of extreme power, we can always have the courage to make the right choice. “With great power comes great responsibility,” - Ben Parker.
Back to the sandbox Choreographer: Courtney Carpentier Music: “I Hear a Symphony” by Cody Fry Dancers: Gray Henry, Holly Richard Program note: “But, of course, it isn’t really good-bye, because the forest will always be there…and anyone friendly to bears can find it” by A.A.Milne Childlike joy is what life is about finding that joy in your day to day. Find joy in the journey. In this piece, one dancer represents childlike joy, and the other is someone who has adapted to what the world has thrown at them and has lost the childlike joy. But that joy can still be found. Whether the piece is seen as two separate characters or the same character at different ages, the understanding is the same: you are the joy. The joy is you.
Anticipatory grief Choreographer: Gray Henry Sound score: Dimensions by Arcade Fire, Owen Pallett Dancers: Ellie Krull Maggie Merchant, Holly Richard, Shayne Souvall Program note: When being diagnosed with a chronic illness has put what feels like a clock on your life. It can racially change your perspective on things. So, over time, you start to grieve things that haven't happened yet due to your tunnel version-like perspective. However, things feel so lost and far over the span of grieving. You discover how important empathy is. People overlook empathy for many reasons. But the main one is forgetting to even care. There is nothing wrong with being wrapped up in your issues. But trying to remember what others may be going through behind a daily smile. Is incredibly important. Throughout my piece, I hope people remember and acknowledge that others grieve daily. And to spread kindness.
Home Is Where Your Heart Is Choreographer: Shayne Souvall Music: “Peace Piece” - Bill Evans “Home with you”-FKA TWIGS Dancers: Ellie Krull, Maggie Merchant Program note: After a lot of cleanup from the leftovers of my past, I reflected a lot on my goals in my childhood and the core memories associated with my goals. Everything happened so fast. Life felt far from real. It felt like a dream; I could almost watch and hang onto all my memories. I watched them slip from my mind almost forgetting who I am and the person that inspired me to develop my checklist. This piece honors the process of losing to gain something else. “When I dream on my own, I'm alone but I ain’t lonely”- Newsies
Agree to change Choreographer: Ellie Krull Music: 1st song “Baby I'm a Star” by Prince, 2nd song “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John Dancers: Gray Henry, Ellie Krull, Maggie Merchant, Holly Richard, Shayne Souvall Program note: This piece represents an abrupt change in my life, going from something I’ve known for most of my life and being forced to pivot and explore new and uncertain paths. The first song represents conformity, structure, and adherence to an established regimen with very uniform and clean movement. The soloist in the first song is juggling multiple things at once in their life, so they aren't always on the stage. The other dancers eventually leave the soloist and abandon them. In the second song, the soloist is heartbroken. The one other dancer who has always been kind to them joins them in an attempt to let the soloist heal. The soloist accepts their new path and “agrees to change.”
Undivided Choreographer: Maggie Merchant Music: Intro (Live) By Moderat, Nebula By Joep Beving & Maarten Vos, and Thought By Prm Dancers: Gray Henry, Ellie Krull, Maggie Merchant, Holly Richard, Shayne Souvall Program Note: Honesty often gets muddled in the mix of relationships and communication. It's tempting to change a story, adjust our views to match those of our friends, or even outright lie. We all crave validation and acceptance from those we love. As a result, we sometimes lose sight of our true selves, morphing into what we think others want us to be. Over time, this behavior becomes ingrained, and we find ourselves telling little lies. We lose touch with our emotions, stuck in a cycle of saying what we believe others want to hear. It's a no-win situation that can leave us feeling fractured. Yet, in that breaking lies the potential for healing and growth, the chance to forge a new path. Prioritizing our own thoughts and feelings isn't selfish; it's an act of self-love. We all deserve the space to be authentic, but that space must be claimed through our own strength and conviction.
INTERMISSION
Pas de Six Choreographer: Brad Beakes in collaboration with the dancers Rehearsal Director:Bethany Hansen Music: Piano Interrupted, Franz Kirmann, and Tom Hodge Dancers: Courtney Carpentier, Gray Henry, Ellie Krull, Maggie Merchant, Holly Richard, Shayne Souvall Costume design: Brad Beakes and Bethany Hansen Lighting design: Brad Beakes and Adam Day Program note: A dance for six. This work is dedicated to Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company which has remained a company of six dancers since its inception by the extraordinary Joan Woodbury and Shirley Ririe in 1964. A love letter to my time in the Company and the galactic tapestry of dancers, educators, directors, staff, and art lovers that made it possible. A special thank you to Joan for her unbridled love, candor, and abundant notes in the process.
SLIDE SHOW
But if Not… Choreographer: Bethany Hansen Music: Marathon by Gem Club, Brave Heart by Riopy, Time by Nicholas Yee (edited), Sogno Di Volare by Christopher Tin Dancers: Gray Henry, Ellie Krull, Maggie Merchant, Holly Richard, Shayne Souvall Program Note: “White is not a mere absence of color, it is a shining and affirmative thing. As fierce as red, as definite as black” Gilbert Keith