The Keene State College community gathered in the Mabel Brown Room to watch the annual Choreography Showcase held by KSC Theater and Dance. Students taking the research and choreography course showed off their choreography projects on Thursday, Dec. 4 and Friday, Dec. 5.
During the showcase, the Mabel Brown Room floor is used as opposed to the stage, which allows viewers to have a close feel of each piece performed.
The pieces are performed by student dancers and choreographers who have been creating their penultimate piece for TAD318, taught by the showcase’s Creative Director Cynthia McLaughlin. One of these dancers, senior Tyler McDonald, spoke about the process. “It’s somebody my age and you work with them through the whole process and see how it changes, and sometimes it completely changes to something new and you get to help kind of choreograph,” said McDonald.
The first piece of the night was choreographed by junior Grace Meckel called “Nature’s Paradox,” followed by senior Jacob Lugo’s piece titled “The Company Store,” which focused on the rigorous repetitiveness of hard work and the struggles that it brings.
The next choreographer, junior Morgan Savoy, did not give a description of what the piece titled “Skin and Stone” was meant to depict; instead, she instructed the audience to “not try to analyze Skin and Stone, just feel it.”
Junior Grace Dowd choreographed the fourth piece of the night, titled “Clairvoyant,” which represented the relationship between mediums and spirits. Dowd said her experience with dance and this showcase in particular created the perfect opportunity to show off her choreography.
“I’ve been heavily involved in showcase for the past two years, and my mom was a dance teacher so I’ve grown up watching a lot of choreography,” Dowd said, “so finally being able to be hands on with my own choreography and my own vision was the best feeling, and watching it I was crying because the effort involved in it was crazy.”
“You have hour and a half long rehearsals, two days a week,” Dowd added. “It’s a lot, and it takes a lot of effort outside of class.”
Senior Sophia Tanguay’s piece titled “Ghost Towns” was the final before intermission, and another senior, Cassidy White, opened up the back half of the showcase with a piece called “The Benefit of Getting 64.” Tanguay’s music included a speech performed by herself and fellow senior Caroline Catino. The music and sounds in White’s piece included a cover of “A Day in The Life” by the Beatles recorded by White and Dowd.
Both students used their creativity to produce choreography while also producing coinciding sounds. Attendee and KSC alumna Brenna Hayward acknowledged the courage needed to present that to others.
“It’s really amazing to see people create something from their own brains and be able to show loved ones, family, friends and strangers, and have that kind of bravery to show something they are passionate about,” said Hayward.
Juniors Haylie Jackson and Ella DiMatteo had their pieces performed next, Jackson’s piece titled “Between Beats” and DiMatteo’s piece titled “Unfinished Lines.”
The final piece of the night was choreographed by seniors Ashley Doyle and Allyson Mahoney, which included performances from White and Catino. The piece titled “tHe bovinE aRe maD” had the biggest cast of the showcase and was the only piece to have co-choreographers. Choreographers Doyle, Dowd and White all performed in various pieces throughout the night.
McDonald added, “It’s just a good group bonding experience and a really good creative process.”
Jacob Enscoe can be contacted at
jenscoe@kscequinox.com
