Arts

Tang Hosts Student Dance Lab

This past Friday, Andover dancers enchanted their audience with creative student-choreographed dance at the DanceLabs, held for in Tang Theatre. Usually, the DanceLabs are held in the Wrestling Room in the Gym. Tang, Theatre, however, provided a more friendly and inviting atmosphere for the audience. Student choreographers included Emmie Avvakumova ’14, Shannon Callahan ’12 and Ali Wayne ’14. First on stage were dancers Emily Ewing ’14, Sophie Landay ’14 and Kana Rolett ’13, who performed Avvakumova’s choreography for the song “Hurricane” by 30 Seconds to Mars. Explosive gestures and lively movement across the stage mimicked the music, while the dancers’ black attire added to the exciting feeling of the intricate dance. Prior to the performance, Avvakumova said, “I am really excited for the performance and am not nervous. We have practiced a lot, and we are ready. Whatever happens, we are just going to have fun with it.” After an exhilarating start, the second performance featured a solo performance by dancer Abriana Mayer ’14, with choreography by Wayne. “The dance was really great, especially because it was the only performance with only one dancer involved, which meant you could really tell the emotion in the movements,” said Molly Magnell ’14. According to Wayne, the dance was based off her personal experiences and emotions. Wayne said, “Abriana was perfect for the choreography. It was inspired by one of my personal struggles, and Abriana understood and shared the same emotions with me, which she was able to convey to the audience.” As the grand finale, Callahan’s choreography featured dancers Evie Elson ’15, Victoria Grice ’15, Kristen Overly ’15 and Isabel Saad ’15. Callahan said, “The choreography I created was based on a motif that I manipulated to create a longer piece.” “For the dancers, it was their first experience with the PA dance program, which made it even more fun to work with them on this dance,” she added. The Dance Labs proved to not only successfully entertain the audience, but also allowed audience members to gain more exposure to dance. “This was my first time attending a DanceLab and I am pleasantly surprised. I am taking a dance class myself this term, and these choreographies make me want to learn more,” said Adella Pierre ’14. Throughout the performance and choreographing period, student dancers and choreographers supported each other to make the Dance Lab successful. Elson, “We all worked together, helping each other with the moves we struggled on, and telling each other what parts we did well.” Landay said, “Each of us has different strengths when it comes to dance, and variety makes it interesting.” The next round of Dance Labs will be performed on February 3. Everyone is encouraged to take advantage of this choreographing and dance opportunity. “I just wish there were more participants because there are so many ways to engage in dance at PA, and it is a fun way to expand your knowledge of the arts,” said Wayne. Callahan said, “I am looking forward to seeing more and more student choreography as the year goes on. Dance at Andover is always evolving and we are really starting to form a dance culture here.”