This year’s Highland Dance Company spring concert was filled with creative choreography, high energy, and impactful lighting. The theme was Moxie.
“Moxie is all about determination, nerve, and force of character. Dance is where we [as a company] feel the most confident,” Gemma Leonard, Highland Dance Company president, said. “Each piece in our concert is inspired by this confidence and choreographed with the goal of demonstrating the Moxie we have as a team.”
Throughout the show, it was easy to find these themes in the choreography. The dancers exuded confidence and skill in each dance. And the concept of Moxie was incorporated into every dance.
There were 23 dances in the show and each dancer performed in anywhere from nine to thirteen of them. This year, there were 25 dancers on the team with Gemma Leonard as president, Scarlet Utley as vice president, and Keeley Hill as secretary.
The company has been preparing for this show since November, and they have spent countless hours working together and learning choreography. The choreographers were a mix of this year’s members, past members, and the director, Kelsey Condie.
The show consisted of a mix of hip-hop, jazz, and contemporary dances. In the hip-hop dances, the dancers really brought enthusiasm and energy to the stage. The jazz performances had the right balance of confidence and sass, and the contemporary dances were performed with emotion and gracefulness.
The performers were in sync and danced as one, it was clear that they put a lot of time and effort into it. Beyond the choreography, the costumes and unique lighting added a lot to the performance. Some dances had lighting that emphasized mystery and intimacy of the choreography while others were all energetic bold colors.
Overall, the performance was one they won’t forget. It highlighted the power of community and the confidence they all gained from being together.
“Dance company has been the best part of my high school [experience] and the girls are so amazing,” Utley said. “No one should be afraid to try out because it’s such a loving environment and they’re also so accepting and it’s just the best.”
As a long-time member of dance company, Leonard has seen many of these shows and as president this year, she was finally able to do more for the show and make her best one yet.
“Every concert I’ve participated in for Dance Company has played an important part in high school for me, but Moxie has been the most impactful for me personally,” Leonard said. “This year, and this concert particularly, has given me the opportunity to incorporate myself into a concert in a way that I haven’t had the opportunity to in past years. I am extremely proud of my team and the dances we put on stage, and I couldn’t be any more grateful for the opportunity to play a larger role on this team.”
