On Friday, November 17, the packed audience at Jewett Hall waited with eager anticipation, an upbeat mood for the final weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday, encouraged in part by the rhythmic bass line of the pre-show music blaring through the speakers. The Wellesley College Dancers (WCD) were presenting their final show of the semester, “Luminescent,” featuring fourteen different performances, from different groups of dancers as well as six guest groups: Aiko, Cielito Lindo, FreeStyle, Wellesley on Tap, Wellesley Asian Dance Organization, and Yanvalou. .
After an enthusiastic introduction and a deafening cheer from the audience, the show began with “Damage Gets Done,” choreographed by Emma Cotard ’24 and set to the song of the same name written by Hozier with Brandi Carlile. Having choreographed WCD nearly every semester, Cotard is something of a veteran, but finds that each piece still has its difficulties. When discussing her choreographic process, Cotard notes that the freedom is both exciting and challenging.
“When you have to design your own piece… actually teaching it in rehearsal, it’s always harder than I expect,” she said, going on to outline her process. “Once I choose a song, I always like to cut my music first and choose the sections I want to do… If one part doesn’t inspire me I cut it. I try to think about how the lyrics can be represented by the dance or if I want to focus on the beats or the background music. It’s just trying to think about What part of the music do I hear? Then what do I want to perform?
WCD also performed a company piece called “I Guess This is Life” featuring all members to close the show. The WCD pieces were accompanied in the program by a description explaining the meaning and intent behind the piece. “I guess that’s life” and its summary was as follows: “[It] It celebrates the everyday moments we build together the lives we each live. What happens when we turn away from the vastness of the world and focus on the small things? Our journeys may momentarily intersect or become inextricably intertwined, a mystery that is revealed daily. This piece is an invitation to walk alongside me.
To coordinate such a large group of performers, the rehearsal process was atypical. Company president Alexa Halim ’25 brought in her sister Nadia Halim, a professional dancer based in New York City, to choreograph. The company came together for an intensive weekend at the beginning of the semester to get a good foundation and then trained intermittently during the rest of the semester to fine-tune the details. Alexa Halim explained that having an intensive weekend, especially early in the semester, allowed the choreography process to be more organic.
“The process was very unique. Sometimes when people are doing dances, especially with small group pieces, you’ll see the choreographer just bring in some choreography, and you learn it and do whatever he tells you to do. The way my sister and some of the other choreographers work We’ve worked with them in the past, they take a more freewheeling approach, especially if they have more time. So [the process] I could just see how we all moved as one unit. It took a lot of improvisation during the process, and I started to see the style that everyone had, especially since my sister was very familiar with how everyone danced. From there I was able to pick up on people’s style and we took a calmer approach to the choreography.
Halim (25 years old) explained that although the work is hard and can take long hours, she finds it somewhat relaxing and an important part of maintaining a balance between schoolwork and other areas in her life.
“It’s a really good way to have that outlet. I can step away from the work that I’m doing… It’s a really great opportunity to take a step back and do something that I love and still provides some rigor,” she said.
Cotard explained that she is able to connect what she learns in dance to what she does in the classroom. Despite how different the field of astrophysics may seem from dance, Cotard finds that the skills she learns in dance are useful elsewhere in her life.
“I major in astrophysics. Dance suits me.” [with that] Because I believe that in any discipline, there is an element of creativity and problem solving that you have to bring to anything. Dancing in general makes your mind more flexible, and makes you know how to pick up new things. “It definitely always helps in being able to pick up new information and apply it quickly,” Cotard said.
Dancing as part of an organization is very different from her experience at a performing arts high school, but she is glad she found WCD as a way to continue the practice.
“I trained every day for about three hours [high] School, practice ballet, modern, jazz, etc. So it was inevitable that the adaptation would come to Wellesley where there is no specific dance program. “WCD has been a great place to keep dance in my life,” Halim said.
Get ready to be dazzled as the talented dancers of Wellesley College take the stage to present their captivating class show, Shimmer. This highly anticipated event promises to showcase the incredible skill and artistry of the dancers as they bring to life a diverse array of dance styles. From ballet to contemporary, and everything in between, the performers are set to enrapture the audience with their unparalleled grace and precision. Shimmer is sure to be a mesmerizing display of talent and creativity, leaving a lasting impression on all who have the pleasure of witnessing it.