Spring DANCE/works Show
MDC Dancers Display Their Talent
June 5, 2019
Every semester, the CRLS Modern Dance Company (MDC) puts on an entertaining and lively show to display their talent and creativity to the school, and this semester was no different. On May 10th and 11th, CRLS students, faculty, and families gathered in the Fitzgerald Theatre in anticipation of the spring DANCE/works show.
The show incorporated a wide variety of dance styles including hip-hop, modern, and Bollywood. Audience member Hannah Thomsen ’20 commented that the diverse dance styles made each piece “very unique.” For the opening act, the CRLS Drumline and Percussion Ensemble accompanied the dancers with live music, putting a twist on typical DANCE/works shows. Thomsen added, “The drumline was great in the beginning, which helped make the dance really come alive.”
The captivating show was a culmination of months of hard work put in by students, choreographers, and MDC directors Brenda Divelbliss and Mila Thigpen. The show featured work from CRLS’ Advanced Dance course this semester, taught by Ms. Divelbliss, in addition to pieces choreographed by guest artists, faculty, and students.
Each semester, a handful of upperclassmen are given the unique opportunity to choreograph their own pieces for the biannual show.
Senior Maeve Reilly described her experience choreographing for the first time, saying that it “challenged me in so many ways, but nothing describes the reward of watching people perform something you created.”
While the main focus of MDC is dance, this year the company wanted to create a strong community in addition to a group of talented dancers. “For years prior, it had been a loving and supportive community, but not necessarily for everyone,” said senior and co-captain Nia Callender. “As a captain, I wanted to make it a place where everyone felt wanted and included, especially for people who were new to the school and or even new to dance.”
This renewed commitment to community and supporting all dancers was evident to freshman Isa Lozada when she joined MDC this year. “When I first joined MDC, I didn’t really know many people,” she said. “But everyone is very kind and supportive, so I was easily welcomed into the community.”
To many, MDC is much more than just a place to dance. As the school year comes to a close, seniors reflected on their experiences being a part of the MDC community. Reilly remarked, “I joined MDC first semester of freshman year and it was where I not only grew as a dancer, but also grew as a person and met my best friends. MDC is the most important thing I did at CRLS, and I’m forever grateful for it.”
When asked about what she will miss most about MDC, Callender responded, “What I will miss most of all is the spirit and the positive energy that was created and reinforced by everyone—and that it was more of a second home than just a dance group.”
This piece also appears in our May 2019 print edition.
