Dance students choreograph their own pieces

March 12, 2013 — by Sierra Smith

On March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the West Valley College Theater, Los Gatos Ballet held its annual Youth Choreography Showcase in which young dancers perform student-choreographed pieces.

 

On March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the West Valley College Theater, Los Gatos Ballet held its annual Youth Choreography Showcase in which young dancers perform student-choreographed pieces.

“It's a really unique opportunity for us to step out of our roles as dancers and see the other side of working on a show,” senior ballerina Heather Sabel said.

The Youth Choreography Showcase has been a long standing tradition at Los Gatos Ballet.  It’s goal is simple: to allow dance students, including Sabel and seniors Kendall Cichanowicz and Olivia Whiting, to create and display their own pieces.

Sabel has been doing ballet for 14 years, eight years as a member of Los Gatos Ballet.  She recently choreographed her fifth piece.

“Every year, I try to do something unique,” Sabel said.  “I have been all over the map with styles of choreography in the past. This year, I wanted to try putting together an entirely classical piece.”

To choreograph a piece for the showcase, students had to turn in a proposal in November, and rehearsals begin in January  The dance students invest a lot of time in their pieces, which are often very complex. 

“We are responsible for all aspects of our pieces, from the choreography and costumes to running the rehearsals,” Sabel said.

The pieces are oftentimes combinations of well-known steps and completely original moves from the choreographer, according to Cichanowicz.  Some of the choreographers try to tell stories through their work, but even when they don’t, there is a consistent theme for each piece.

“The hardest part of the process is actually the beginning,” Cichanowicz said.  “I usually just listen to the music over and over while dancing around by myself.”

Whiting, who danced with Los Gatos Ballet from 2005 to 2009, choreographed a piece one year with Sabel and had a similar brainstorming process.

“I began getting inspiration from dance movies and YouTube clips from ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and would show them to Heather who worked a lot on the timing and what counts each move would happen on, so we could teach it,” Whiting said.

After the New Year, rehearsals begin for the showcase, and each piece typically gets one rehearsal a week for an hour or two.

“It is really difficult to teach something to your peers who are as good, or better, than you, but we had to learn to be honest, tough and a little bossy to get it how we wanted,” Whiting said.

Participating in the showcase as a choreographer teaches the students many things including responsibility, perseverance and how to interact with their peers in a professional environment. 

When the Youth Choreography Showcase rolls around in March, students get to see all of their hard work pay off in front of many friends and family.

“It's an amazing feeling watching your piece performed from the wings and thinking that you created it,” Sabel said.

Although not all parts of the choreography process are enjoyable, all of the dancers agree that it teaches valuable lessons and also teaches them about themselves.

“Apart from the pressure from teachers and your dancers, and the occasional stressful rehearsal, I loved the experience and thought it was a great way to grow creatively and personally,” Whiting said.
 

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