The Senior Choreography Dance show premiered last weekend, showcasing the beautiful work of hardworking students brought to life on stage. Senior dance majors auditioned their choreography in hopes that they would be able to bring their vision to life with the help of a dance class. The different styles, costumes, and song choices really make this show unique.

One choreographer was senior Hana Haraway. Haraway has been dancing since she was 8 years old. When asked what her dance meant to her, she said, “The dance I created, name Ambience doesn’t have much of a meaning, it was created with the theme of a moth, specifically the way moths are attracted to lights. There is no story behind it. I find that quality of moths interesting and thought it would be an interesting concept for a dance.” The song she chose to choreograph her dance to was Corner Dance by Travis Lake “I found an artist that I admire and looked through their whole discography. Within their discography, I searched for the most interesting and most ambient song.”

Arranging a dance can be very difficult. Some steps Haraway took to take her work from inspiration to reality were, “I brainstormed the dancer’s spacing; where I want them to end up and who I want to highlight. Then I would improvise to the music and whatever movement fit well I kept it in the dance.” She said it was challenging trying to choreograph for all the different groups.

Another choreographer, Serenity Estrellado, worked with fellow senior Chase Koda. “I had a very personal meaning behind it. I titled it, ‘Words Left Unspoken’ because it’s a piece about all of the things I wish I could do and say to the people that mean a lot to me.”, Estrellado says. “I have a hard time articulating what I’m going through and how I feel verbally, so this piece and its movement is how I chose to express that.” 

“I think I got very lucky with my partner and the class we got,” says Estrellado when asked about the choreographing process. “Chase and I split up who was going to choreograph what watched our class in previous combos to decide who was going to dance in which part, and constantly bounced ideas off of each other for transitions and the overall feeling of the piece. We worked with and without each other on chores too. Chase and I worked well together; he did things I couldn’t do and I did things he couldn’t.”

With graduation approaching, these senior students are faced with many new possibilities. When asked what they’re doing after high school, Haraway replied, “I won’t continue dancing because of a chronic injury but I will take classes here and there. I am not ready to go to college yet so I’m taking a gap year and possibly spending the gap year in Japan.” Estrellado says, “I’m going to major in dance and minor in either kinesiology or business. I also work as a dance teacher, so even if I don’t continue dancing for school I’ll have it in my life for a while”