For the past couple of months, dancers Alex Giarnese ’25, Tara Wei ’25, and Jac Gordon ’25 have been working tirelessly on their independent dance projects for Theatre & Dance 902, Advanced Studies in Dance Performance (THD902). This course offered a unique opportunity for students to take full control over their creative process. From choreographing their own pieces to selecting dancers, the students were able to explore and develop their artistic ideas with complete autonomy.
For Wei, who has been part of various THD902 projects since her Junior year, the chance to choreograph her own piece has been a long-time dream. Finally seeing her ideas come to life on stage has been an incredibly fulfilling experience.
“Over the years, I’ve been compiling different movements and dance ideas so I can create my [THD]902 this winter,” Wei explained. She continued, “My favorite part of this [project] has been watching it actually come to life. It’s all existed in my head up until now, but since it’s living through my dancers, I really get to see how they interpret my choreography and also how they want to show it off.”
Wei’s piece is rooted in the theme of unity and human connection, exploring how the most ordinary, often overlooked moments can leave lasting memories. Through her choreography, she experimented with different movements and shapes to convey how simple actions, when brought together, can form something meaningful.
“I wanted to highlight the mundane things in life and how the simple movements and simple acts really come together to make lasting memories,” described Wei. She continued, “I wanted people in my dance to move together and be a part. I really wanted them to interact a lot and have a lot of movements that were simultaneous or just bounded together.”
Giarnese’s “Sunset Sunrise” is a deeply personal piece. Dedicated to his best friend Sarah, who passed away over a year ago, this piece reflects on the raw emotions of grief and healing. Giarnese hopes his piece will resonate with others who have experienced similar pain.
“I wanted to do something to honor her, and her memory, so this piece is really special to me,” Giarnese shared. He continued, “It follows the story of sadness, acceptance, and love, the three main components of a grieving person, and it tells the story of how everything can change in under a minute, or everything can change from sunset to sunrise.”
Like Wei, Giarnese has been moved by the process of seeing his vision materialize on stage. The experience of translating his personal emotions into movement has been rewarding, as he watches his choreography connect with the dancers in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
“The best part about putting the entire show together is seeing my vision come to life and how well the dancers execute what I ask them to do. It’s something special, that you don’t realize is such a compelling feeling, to see something that’s been in your head for so long actually come alive on stage through real people,” said Giarnese.
The process of putting his piece together has not been without challenges. With a diverse group of dancers, Giarnese faced the burden of unifying them into a cohesive performance.
“I think the hardest part has been taking so many dancers who have all different skill levels, and different experiences, and different styles that they enjoy, and putting them all together into one piece. [However], I think our group specifically has done a really good job at being unified and working together. It’s a really interesting experience to compile a bunch of different dancers’ experiences and styles and likes and dislikes into one piece,” said Giarnese.
For Karishma Caro Del Castillo ’25, Giarnese’s close friend and frequent collaborator, this project has offered a new perspective. Having often worked alongside Giarnese to co-choreograph duets, Caro Del Castillo has appreciated stepping back and seeing his independent artistic process.
“It’s been a really amazing process to be a part of just because Alex is an amazing choreographer with lots of experience in the contemporary dance world.” Caro Del Castillo said. “It’s just been really great to kind of be not in the seat of a co-choreographer and just be able to see where his artistic vision takes him,” said Caro Del Castillo.
Giarnese’s advice to future choreographers focuses on the importance of reflection and personal connection. He believes that every dance should tell a story, drawn from real-life experiences or emotional journeys.
“I would say, tell a story. As a choreographer, I love putting stories on stage. I think every dance should have some inspiration or something that it’s drawn from and so I would say reflect on your own lived experiences or your friends’ lived experiences.” said Giarnese. He continued, “Really take time to be thoughtful because a really amazing piece can come about when you just take your time to reflect and think about how your life has gone so far.”
