By: Makayla Wolins

The Upper School Dance Concert, taking place on April 24th, is an exciting experience for both the audience and the dancers. Cedar Street Dance Company, the Upper School’s pre-professional dance company, has been working on six dances for the show, rehearsing for six hours every week. In addition to learning new pieces, dancers are also perfecting the dances they performed in the Winter Showcase. Everyone involved has put immense effort into preparing for the show and are eager to share their work.

A member of Cedar Street, Liana Visentin ‘29 is performing in five dances during the concert. She is excited to perform her duet with Nina Kietlinski ‘29, entitled “Alley Rose,” which she performed at the winter showcase in November. Visentin’s favorite part about rehearsals was learning new parts to dances and spending time with her peers. She enjoyed being in a collaborative environment, where everybody is eager to improve together. She reflected, “Growing up, I have mainly been trained as a ballet dancer. One of the most challenging parts about rehearsing for the performance was that it pushed me out of my comfort zone. It has been great to explore contemporary and jazz styles and to learn lots of new things.” 

She says that Mr. Fearon, Middle and Upper School Dance Teacher, is a great teacher, and her friends have been very supportive of her. Before going on stage, Cedar Street has a tradition of shaking off their nerves, holding hands, and giving each other pep talks before performing. As her personal ritual, Visentin soaks her socks and drinks lots of water. She ends by saying, “If you like to dance, joining Cedar Street is a great way to investigate your creative expression. It is a good way to dance with a supportive group, where you’ll learn a lot and have fun performing.”

Bianca Gupta ‘29 is enjoying the process of watching the show come together. Her favorite part of the process is using Mr. Fearon’s critiques to improve her dances . She says that changing order and foundation has been the hardest part. Figuring out how to adjust to new changes and making it blend smoothly is also difficult for her. According to her, “Working with Cedar Street is a great experience and an interesting way to collaborate and work with my friends. Before a performance, we all like to encourage each other,  which helps center ourselves and show that we’re a company, rather than just individual soloists.”

Her advice to someone who may be considering auditioning for Cedar Street is: “Don’t be afraid, just go for it. Cedar Street is a very welcoming environment where nobody’s judging you. It’s a very supportive way to push yourself as a dancer.” In preparation for the performance, Gupta has improved her ability to work and dance with others. She also has learned how to better flow as a group, and have spatial awareness. She most enjoyed working in small groups in rehearsals, specifically working with people who are in the same parts as her. It was interesting for her to see how she and her friends interpreted the same experience differently.

The Dance Concert is the result of months of dedication and hard work from the Cedar Street dancers. After months of long rehearsals and perfecting each tiny detail, the dancers are ready to perform a great show. The performance will not only showcase each dancer’s technical skills, but it will also demonstrate their bond with one another. Watch the Dance Concert to see each Cedar Street’s creativity, bond, and skill as a group.