PAST PRODUCTIONS

Rhythmic Dialogues explored the connection between movement and language. Each choreographer revelaled their connection  underneath their title in the program; one explored the many languages spoken on the NYC subway, one explored the language of chaos, another the language of technology. The pieces were linked by audio recordings of Ensemble members speaking other languages. It was amazing to see how many different languages were represented! Our Guest Artist was Kenneth Johnson and our Alumni choreographer was Stephanie Cox '19. 

This production is unlike anything we have done before. It features choreography by students, faculty, guest artist Zoje Azeke and Grace alum Talya Gomez '20. It also features stories that unfold in the spaces in between, linking the dances together in meaningful and unexpected ways. You will see these ten intrepid performers in a new way as they take us on a theatrical journey that is sure to delight and inspire you.

As the title suggests, this altogethernow brings together a wide variety of collaborators, including: original work by students; our 2021-2022 Guest Artist, Ehizoje Azeke; Grace alumna Electra Carzis '16; and Grace faculty members Jenny Pommiss and Simon Thomas-Train. The show also featured special performances by the High School Rock Band as well as Grace faculty and staff members. 

In These Unprecedented Times... included a screening of dances created specifically for the camera, as well as LIMINALE, a piece performed LIVE OVER ZOOM. Here is a note about LIMINALE from choreographer Alice Gosti:

LIMINALE was born as a necessity to continue creating work and experimenting with virtual platforms during covid-19. LIMINALE is a live performance created intentionally for Zoom in which each performer streams directly from their personal spaces, using environments, furniture and memory as inspiration for the movement material. This project takes on the condition of confinement, transforming living space into creative space, while inviting the audience to become co-creators. Activating memories and everyday objects, LIMINALE unveils surprising movements inspired by home. 

When the Grace Dance Ensemble’s concert was canceled due to COVID-19, the Ensemble was forced to shift gears. While this digital reimagining is in no way a substitute for the live performance, it is an exploration in what it means to dance in place during a global pandemic. 

Grace Dance Ensemble presented Synesthesia on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13, 2019. This  concert featured choreography by students, faculty, as well as our all-star alumna, Camille Segre-Lawrence ’18. Our guest artist was Maria Bauman-Morales, artistic director of MB Dance, whose choreography is a unique blend of power and beauty. Our choreographers were inspired by synesthesia, the commingling of our senses.

Agents of Funk, Prophets of Change was an evening dedicated to choreographic work inspired by issues of social justice. Through their choreography, students and faculty wrestled with questions concerning DACA, gun violence and school shootings, and the history of racial violence in our country. The choreography also celebrated dance as a form of non-violent protest that builds community by celebrating the differences that define us and the similarities that bind us. This concert featured David Dorfman’s beloved work, Prophets of Funk, which was reimagined for the Ensemble by two members of Dorfman’s company, Jasmine Hearn and Simon Thomas-Train.

TThe theme for Where We Meet began with the open-ended question “Dance and….?” Students and faculty filled in the blanks, incorporating text, video, and props, ranging from chairs to piles and piles of post-it notes, into their dances. The concert featured an original work choreographed for the Ensemble by Simon Thomas-Train, as well as the first-ever faculty dance piece! S H I N E , choreographed by Jenny Pommiss, featured 16 faculty members with a cameo by Head of School, George Davison. The title Where We Meet, therefore, took on a larger meeting, as it also brought faculty and students together on the stage.

Take Root, Take Flight celebrated GCS’s first graduating class, the class of 2016. We began with themes of migration, journey, and saying goodbye. Our guest artist, Andre Zachary’s The Silent Path, portrayed a transient community propelled forward by a quiet determination. Wherever You Go (there you are), choreographed by Jenny Pommiss, offered a playful perspective on the college process, and included a great reveal at the end with each senior proudly sporting their college t-shirts

Swingin’ at the Savoy & Other Stories was all about the swing era. The Ensemble was lucky enough to work with renown swing dancer and teacher, Michael Jagger, who literally taught the students a whole new vocabulary and way to partner with each other. The students used historical events of the 1930’s and 1040’s as a starting point for their choreography.

The first GCS Dance Concert included work by faculty, students, and guest artist, Jenn Weber, who choreographed a Hip-Hop piece for the Ensemble. The concert also included a collaboration with the The Writing Club, in which writers danced and dancers wrote, contributing to an original soundtrack that wove together music and text. There was also a collaboration with the Jazz Ensemble, directed by Nick Kadajski, who played live on stage.

In year one of our high school, with fifty-nine 9th graders, the visual and performing arts departments joined forces to put on a show that celebrated our first year as a high school. There was a visual art show, selections from Rent and Urinetown, instrumental and vocal pieces, as well as original choreography.