Lights, dancers, action! The Upper School dance team put on an excellent performance for the 2019 Winter Dance Concert. Dancers performed in two shows, one for Beasley Lower School and another for the MICDS community in general. They showcased a variety of dance types: classical Indian, hip hop, ballet and musical theater.
This year’s performance included the choreography of five Upper School students: Leila Awasthi ’20, Asha Dundoo ’20, Amarah Friedman ’20, Tista Mandal ’20 and Jenna Zhao ’20 as well as lighting design by Bianca Sforza ’19. Dancers included the choreographers along with Shelly Bhagat ’22, Coumba Diallo ’22, Jennifer Li ’20 and Emma Scally ’22.
“I’ve been in it for three years now, and every year has been a special experience,” shared Leila Awasthi. “Each year, we kind of start as strangers, and by the end of the season, we’re so much closer. Being on the team has helped me create friendships with people I never thought I would be friends with.”
The evening performance also involved a post-performance discussion with the choreographers and dancers. The team members talked about what being part of the dance program meant to them. Leila shared, “This year was the first year that I choreographed a piece, and that, too, was a special experience. I had to teach most of the people in the dance the basics of ballet, which was hard because I’ve never had to teach someone how to dance before. This ties in with another special aspect of the dance team, which is learning new types of dance. It’s a lot of fun. Being a part of the dance team means a lot to me, and I really hope that I can do it next year too.”