With the start of the new semester going well on it’s way, we have a lot of things to look forward to in the dance department. Dance Four is the highest level of dance before Guys and Dolls here at Whitney Young. They have their own show called Studio to Stage every year which is entirely student choreographed, which was recently a success. Although only eight pieces long this show was filled with talent, originality, and grace. Pieces that stood out to me included Open Letter choreographed by Hannah Hawkins ‘18, and Hold On choreographed by Kayla Bilal ‘19. This year’s show received generally great reviews from fellow students as well.

“I thought the show was great. I loved watching my friends dance in the pieces they worked hard on,” said Carrie Moy ‘19.

Unfortunately, Lauren Redman ‘18 fractured her foot while rehearsing during tech week and was unable to perform, but she was still proud of the show.

“It sucked to not be able to perform after all those weeks of hard work, especially because this is my senior year. It’s gonna suck even more for a bit after the show but I appreciated all the love and support that I received, and I am proud of my classmates for putting on a great performance,” said Lauren.

Some dancers choreograph and dance in their piece which is a lot harder than one may think. Kayla Bilal managed to pull it off.

“I was a bit nervous at first, to be honest. But my girls killed it and I’m so glad my piece closed the show strong,” said Kayla.

There are different ways to get into dance four. You can audition for placement, or if you don’t have any dance experience and are looking to gain experience, many people start from the beginner levels in Dance one. Unfortunately the auditions for this year has passed. New members for Guys and Dolls, the highest level of dance, will be posted outside the dance studio on the bulletin board. If you are a dancer looking to get more involved and be in more dances, you can audition for Din Daa Daa on February 22. Din Daa Daa is an African Style Dance performed annually. Many seniors are also but starting to make their senior choreography project which they can cast anyone in the dance department. Some are holding auditions to decide who think they fits best in their piece. Din Daa Daa and select senior pieces will be showcased in the annual spring show on May 3 and 4. Guys and Dolls are also working on a new piece choreographed by Melissa Thodos of Thodos Dance Chicago. She will be setting a piece called Rituals on a cast within the company which will also be perform at the spring show. If you haven’t been to any dance show in your high school career, this one is the one to watch.