[Source: www.thewallis.org]
After a year of absence, Dana Findley, who was the Dance Company’s teacher for several years, finally came back for the 2017-2018 school year. “Ms. Findley is back and has done a really good job at putting the show together,” said senior Daniel Kohanbash. Spending an average of about two hours in the dance room every day, Findley and the dancers bonded strongly..
Each dancer earns their position on the team through a lengthy audition process. The dance team was filled with over forty of the best dancers in the school, including all four grade levels. The show was an excellent opportunity for all dancers to display their dance and choreography skills, as most of the pieces were student-choreographed. Many student choreographers were able to tell personal stories through the art of dance, with the help of Findley and guest choreographers.
As an example, “Gone”, a piece choreographed by senior Leore Slavick told an important message about mental illness. The dance and movements of the piece gave the audience an unsettling feeling, which she wanted in order to accurately portray what is going through the mind of one who is mentally ill. “I wanted to choreograph a dance that evokes the audience to think and a dance that is different than anything else that was done before,” Slavick said.
[Source: BHHS Watch Tower]
The months of hard work and preparation shined as the students took the stage. Through the strong collaboration between the dancers and teacher, Dance Company 2018 was able to put on a successful show filled with emotion.
