Throughout the month of April, rehearsals for the CRLS Modern Dance Company (better known as MDC) were in full swing! After a very hectic first semester due to COVID-19 restrictions, which was full of ups and downs in regard to having an official performance, it is safe to say that things are finally returning to normal, and we are back in the Arts Building basement working harder than ever.

This semester’s show is a culmination of the hard work of several incredibly talented student choreographers, including seven seniors such as myself, Ryan Blumofe, Isa Lozada, Mitchima Lubintus, Zoe Zelleke, Brooke Hugot, Morgan Nerich, and junior Irene Hill. In addition to student choreography, the show will include five guest-choreographed pieces created by CRLS alumni, both pre-professional and professional dancers from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and others. The music for this show is also meticulously selected, with titles featuring artists like Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Tyler, the Creator, N.E.R.D., and even the Beatles. The Spring 2022 show is sure to be a source of inspiration and entertainment for every kind of audience member!

Since MDC aligned its schedule similarly to the regular school’s, the company was also in its “mid-term.” During the midterm period of a semester, MDC begins its midway showings, a very special event where the MDC community gathers to see the progress and work we have put into our dances since the beginning of the semester. Each student performs a choreographed piece and shows as much of their dance as they want to. Afterward, it gets put up for feedback from the rest of the company. This semester our company has about 70 members, ranging from all grade levels, dance experience, and most importantly dance styles.

Our upperclassmen typically have the most dance experience by nature, however we have a lot of strong freshmen and sophomores who will be highlighted in our show. MDC prides itself on our ability to build community and form relations between each grade level and sharing the dressing room and studio spaces together every afternoon helps create this atmosphere. After midway showings, members of the company described pieces as “very energetic and lively” and “engaging to watch.” Captain Dutch Robinson remarked that “the spring 2022 show is bound to be a crowd pleaser.”

After our midterm, it’s pretty much crunch time to put the show, or “DANCE/works,” together. As each semester show is a culmination of works, the DANCE/works title represents the wide range of choreographic styles and exploration there is in each show. In our final weeks leading up to the show, we will be picking costumes, cleaning and running the dances countless times, and asking about last minute corrections.

Overall, we will pull it together to create something both memorable and magical. Tickets for the show will be available for purchase in the upcoming weeks through the Ludus software. Follow us on Instagram (@crls_ mdc) for updates. On behalf of all of MDC we look for- ward to seeing you all at our DANCE/works shows on May 13th and May 14th at 7 PM!

This piece also appears in our April 2022 print edition.