Lexie Shadix, Campus Carrier asst. arts and living editor

On Dec. 6, the Berry College Dance Company (BCDC) will be giving the first performance of their annual holiday concert, Holiday Wonders. The show is comprised of 13 pieces featuring various styles of dance, many of the pieces for the show being choreographed by BCDC members. Students who took a choreography class offered at Berry had the opportunity to submit a piece to be included in the production. There are nine student choreographers, as well as a faculty choreographer and director of the dance program, Sara Pecina. One of the student choreographers is Amelia Grant, a sophomore animal science major and dance minor.  

“I really wanted to make a piece that was engaging,” Grant said. “And, because Christmas is such a magical time, I wanted to create a piece that captured a little bit of that magic.”

Grant choreographed a contemporary ballet piece that focuses on the stars. 

“I start with the music and then I try to find movements that go with that music while they still tell their own story a little bit, too,” Grant said. “Then, I usually have choreography, but once I actually get to the studio with the dancers, I allow it to change.” 

Once a choreographer sees their dance being performed by others, they may realize a prop looks better on the left as opposed to the right, or they can do more or less with the movements depending on a dancer’s abilities. The choreographer must be flexible in that regard. However, it is an entirely different experience than dancing in someone else’s piece. 

“You’re deciding where the head is looking, what the arm is doing and if the foot is pointed or flexed,” Amanda Magle, a junior majoring in physics and secondary education and minoring in dance, said.  There are many more decisions involved in choreographing and it’s all coming from you, whereas dancing in a piece you just learn what somebody else has come up with.” 

The choreography focuses on the range emotions that surround the holidays. 

“We don’t just focus on the good of the holidays,” Ary Flowers, a junior majoring in political science and minoring in dance and legal studies, said. “We dance about some of the stressors and the missing out of family traditions. That’s why I think it’s such a relatable show.”

Rehearsals for Holiday Wonders began in August. Dancers rehearse Monday through Friday, beginning at 5p.m.. In total, dress rehearsals can last from 5p.m. to as late as 11p.m..

“It’s a commitment,” Grace Lenox, a sophomore economics major and dance minor, said. “It’s not something you can just not show up to that day just because you have homework.” 

This strenuous schedule makes it incredibly important for members of BCDC to practice good mental and physical health. 

“Rest is a huge thing,” Lenox said. “Also just making sure that we’re building strength throughout [the rehearsal period], so continuing to stretch and do exercises on our own. Then mentally, I think that’s probably harder. You just kind of have to be fully in it and be flexible because it’s definitely a process. It’s super fun, but it’s going to  be exhausting.” 

As the performance creeps closer, the energy among performers remains high. Tech week began on Sunday. This is when the BCDC does a run through of the entire performance. 

“Those are definitely a bit more intense because that’s putting the whole show together and making sure everything is going to run smoothly,” Magle said. 

The week before the show is presented is, undeniably, a stressful time. However, there is a strong bond among BCDC members. 

“That’s when we check-in and start hair and make-up [during tech week rehearsals],” Flowers said. “From 5:30p.m. to 6:30p.m. we have a warmup with our director. This includes our stretching, across-the-floor work, we also do different lifts that are performed in the show.” 

Dress rehearsal begins at 7p.m. after all the dancers have warmed up and put on their costumes. After the rehearsal is over, the dancers go over notes. 

“As a collective group, we sit in the theater, and we go over any corrections or any [mistakes] that happened throughout the rehearsal,” Flowers said.  “It’s stressful, but we also remember that we’re all in this together.”

This winter show aims to spread the joy of the season through dance. It is full of the ups and downs of the season and provides a time for the audience to connect with each other and with the dancers. 

“Christmas is mostly about the togetherness, about the comfort, about the unity, and we want to connect with the audience on those levels as much as possible,” Flowers said. 

In total, there will be three performances. One on Friday, Dec. 6, and two on Saturday, Dec. 7. Tickets are available now and can be purchased at the link in the Berry College Dance Program’s Instagram page, @bcdanceprogram. Tickets for Berry students are free and the event also counts as a Cultural Event credit.