As the Larimer lights dim, the audience waits in anticipation. Dancers stand in the wings, peering into the black void where the audience sits, methodically moving their arms and legs as they visualize their performance. Months of preparation and work go into this moment, months of brainstorming themes, movement, and art. This year, the theme chosen by the students across the dance program is “Imminent Flux.” Each student interprets this theme in their own way, through their movement, on-stage choices, or, for intermediate and advanced students, choreography. One freshman dancer, Mina Maidon-Felker, believes the pieces in this year’s concert “express the theme in a very powerful way.” Three advanced students stand out in their choreography, each of their creations interpreting the theme in similar yet individual ways: Ella Hoagland, Emma Barkes, and Mina Bailey.

"Futile Persistence"

“Futile Persistence” is choreographed by senior Ella Hoagland and is a solo featuring Emma Barkes. Ella describes her piece as “about negative rituals/bad habits. A bad habit may have had a one-time relevance, but once that's served, it often lingers, sometimes to the point where it pulls other people into the mess of it all.” Ella was greatly influenced by her music, describing how in this process of bad habits, “a chain starts to form—linking person to person to an addiction and its storm. I really resonate with this chain imagery, which is why I chose the song ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac.” She focuses on how we can’t let go of the habits we hold, never “breaking the chain.” Her piece represents the beginning of a two-part interrogation into our habits, with a key surprise aspect of Emma’s choreography being integrated into Ella’s as Ella’s concludes the first half of the concert, leaving a resolution to be had after intermission, with Emma’s piece opening the second half.

Ella describes her choreographing process, including her challenges, explaining that “the most challenging part of my piece was removing myself from it. I'm not in my own dance; instead, I'm choreographing on one person. It's pretty dang hard to translate your own ideas onto another body. But through trial and error, I've really strengthened my ability to communicate and collaborate.” Ella interprets this piece as part of the larger concert through “its ties to everyday practice. Whether we mean to or not, we devote time to our bad habits every single day. It's a ritual through its repetition."

"Holding On"

"Holding On” is choreographed by junior Emma Barkes, featuring Emma, Sofia Drakou, Ella Hoagland, Paige Karney, Halle Peterson, Kylie Seamans, and Izzy Utgaard. Emma’s piece is also about bad habits. A key unique feature of her piece is the inclusion of red gloves, representing the bad habits we as humans hold onto and try to free ourselves from. There is a clear progression from Ella Hoagland’s piece just before the break, featuring a similar theme of bad habits, but the end of the piece being about finding a community, creating a conclusion to the concept of negative habits. Emma interprets this piece as part of the larger concert through the constant repetition of bad habits, representing the repetition of the theme.

"Grief in Motion"

“Grief in Motion” is choreographed by sophomore Mina Bailey, featuring Mina, Sofia Drakou, Sammy Morley, Halle Peterson, and Kylie Seamans. Mina describes her piece as “about the five stages of grief and the complexities of human emotion. It moves through the five stages, representing what it means to feel grief as a universal human experience.” The dance incorporates this theme across all aspects, featuring five dancers, five pieces of music, and five anecdotes from individuals who have gone through a loss.

For Mina, “the most challenging part of the creation process was trying to find the emotional connection while still keeping the piece detailed and structured and not losing the meaning.” Mina’s “piece fits into the broader theme of change because grief in and of itself represents a major forced change all humans experience at some point in their life.”

Come support all of our amazing dancers on Friday, February 6th, and Saturday, February 7th at 7pm in the Larimer Center!