Every February, the YPAS Dance department presents Dance Concert on the YPAS MainStage. This year, the dancers will perform five shows: two matinees during the school week, followed by three shows on the weekend. These performances require months of preparation and dedication from dancers, choreographers and faculty.
The first step is casting. Dancers participate in many rounds of auditions, where they learn and practice new choreography. Different choreography is taught during each six-week round.
Then, the YPAS Dance faculty make decisions based on the students’ performance in the rounds. Dancers are required to be well versed in many styles of dance, as they will perform ballet, modern, tap, African and contemporary repertoire.
The show opens with act two of “Coppelia,” a French ballet created in 1870. Jewell Sullivan Pope (10, YPAS) was cast as the Chinese Doll, who has a major role in the dance. Performing her solo was a challenging task.
“My very first time I did the solo, I didn’t think that it was actually going to me,” Pope said.
Initially, she struggled with not only the choreography, but feeling confident in her dancing, but she eventually grew more comfortable with the solo.
“I was really proud of myself that I managed to build up my stamina in time for [Dance Concert] and push myself past what I thought I was able to do,” Pope said.
After the pieces are casted, the dancers transition into running dances during their ensemble class block. During rehearsal the dances are refined and corrected until everything is nearly perfect.
Then, the dancers have spacing and tech days where they stage the pieces and rehearse on the YPAS MainStage. After that, they have dress rehearsals, which are full, in-costume runs of the show, as if there was a full audience watching.
After school rehearsals begin during the weeks before Dance Concert. This fills up the dancers’ schedules, as many of them already attend dance schools outside of YPAS.
Pope is a student at the Louisville Ballet School in addition to YPAS, and has classes and rehearsals there six days a week.
“It is such a big time commitment, especially because I have dance afterwards, so I don’t get home from school until 9 p.m.,” Pope said.
With after school rehearsals picking up and shows getting closer, nerves can build for the dancers. It becomes increasingly important for dancers to both physically and mentally prepare themselves.
To ensure a successful performance, dancers need to get in the right headspace.
“Reviewing the dances, making sure I know all of them and getting myself organized — that’s also really helpful,” Pope said.
Even with its challenges, Pope still enjoys performing at YPAS.
“I also love getting to do different styles of dance than I would normally do and getting an extra opportunity to perform outside of my home studio,” Pope said.
She also appreciates the opportunity to perform for a different audience.
“It’s not really the crowd that would normally come specifically to a ballet per se because it’s not just ballet,” Pope said. Getting to be seen by people who also go to Manual is special to her as well.
From casting to the final curtain, YPAS Dance Concert demands months of hard work from the dancers. But the chance to perform different styles of dance and share their talent with a diverse audience makes it all worthwhile. Dance Concert is a celebration of the dancers’ dedication and passion for dance.
You can support YPAS Dance by attending Dance Concert, which will take place on Feb. 21 and 22 at 7 p.m., and Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.
