The Choreographers’ Showcase is making a comeback this year, but in a different way. This is the second year KO has performed the showcase and because of everything that has happened in the past year, the performance is going to look very different. However, KO students are ready to share their months of hard work with the rest of the community.
KO students who opted to participate in the Choreographer’s Showcase were hard at work after school with the assistance of local professional dancers Jus Hughes, Savana Jones, and Laura Horn. All that work culminated in a final performance that was recorded and edited for the KO community to view. After school on Friday, right before Thanksgiving break, students stayed at school for three hours in order to film the performance. The product, as it is still being edited, is highly anticipated.
In the past, the Choreographers’ Showcase has been performed in front of KO students during the school day. However, to accommodate coronavirus state guidelines, changes had to be made. The choreography allowed all students to be at least six feet apart from one another, and they danced in masks during rehearsals, leading up to the final recorded performance. However, this wasn’t always easy.
“Making sure the choreography would work while the dancers maintained social distancing was one of the biggest challenges we faced,” Director of Theater Kyle Reynolds said. Junior Serafina Squatrito agreed. “Surprisingly, this year’s Choreographers’ Showcase was the first experience I had with theater at KO,” she said. “While it was a little strange at first to have to learn a dance while still being farther away from each other, I think we were able to create something really special.”
Dancers donned different costumes for each performance, each of which served to ultimately tie everything together. “My favorite costume was from Mr. Reynolds’s piece,” sophomore Avery Schiff said, “because the dresses were really pretty, and I felt like it worked really well with the theme of his piece.”
Although dancers were certainly disappointed that the performance would not be in front of an audience this year, recording each dance did have its perks. “We were able to record multiple takes, which isn’t the case when we perform live,” Mr. Reynolds said.
Unlike most recordings in which the cameras are fixed a substantial distance away from the performers, the videographers were able to move around on the stage. “I wanted the video to resemble a music video,” Mr. Reynolds said. “I sent the company we are working with inspiration videos on how I envisioned it looking, and while it won’t turn out exactly like I am imagining, I am still really excited and proud of what we put together.”
Having the performance recorded in this way was very different for the dancers, however. “For me, dancing with the camera so close was a bit nerve-wracking, but overall it was different and fun,” Serafina said. In addition to the camera being so close to students, there was also a small camera crew that interviewed students. “It was a really new experience for me because it wasn’t at all what I was expecting,” Avery said.
The editing process is ongoing, and Mr. Reynolds anticipates that it will take a little more time. However, he is very excited to share the finished product with the school. “It’s creative, artistic, and powerful,” Mr. Reynolds said, “I’m glad we can show everyone that the performance arts are still very much alive and thriving at KO.”
