This piece was submitted by Christeen Florence (10, J&C) 

On Friday, Oct. 11, YPAS will have its Young Choreographers Showcase in the Blackbox Theatre. The show is free and is at 10 a.m. during second block and 7 p.m after school. 

The Young Choreographers Showcase is made up of seven to eight student-choreographed pieces performed by fellow dance students. Teachers have little involvement when it comes to creating the pieces and only offer feedback to the choreographers.  

“Each student is able to create the piece as they want to create it and follow their own artistic vision,” Ms. Kimberly Mansilla (Dance) said. 

There were two different rounds of rehearsals that gave all the dances time to rehearse in the proper space. Some were scheduled to rehearse during the first part while others rehearsed during the second round. The first round started in the second week of school, and the other round of rehearsals started the week of Sept. 16. Both rehearsal rounds gave the students four hours a week to rehearse. 

The Young Choreographers Showcase gives students the chance to express themselves instead of having faculty-choreographed dances. 

“It’s the one moment where students are really taking charge and able to express themselves in a different way than just being a dancer,” Mansilla said. 

Students are given the challenge of professionalism, whether they are dancers or choreographers. When working with their friends, they must learn to get the dance finished in the amount of time they have by running an efficient rehearsal. 

Some choreographers also struggle with deciding what to put in their pieces to make sure it goes with their vision. 

Mackenzie Nelms (12, YPAS) is choreographing a solo, but halfway through she had to start over because she didn’t like her first one. 

“You have to pull from your own inspiration and make sure you’re showing yourself and not just going through the movements,” Nelms said. 

In addition, Young Choreographers gives students a chance to meet and collaborate with other students who they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. 

“I’ve gotten closer to people who aren’t just in my senior class,” Julianna Kopp (12, YPAS), a choreographer in this year’s show, said.