Loyola’s annual dance concert is a highly anticipated event that the program spends months preparing for. Since the audience is only able to see the compelling performances, five dance majors give you a sneak peak behind the wings and share their favorite moments from this year’s concert:
- “One of the best parts of the dance concert is having so many alumni in attendance,” said Nicole Golonka, a senior dance and psychology double major. “Not only is it wonderful knowing that they are there supporting us, but it also provides an opportunity to see what great things they’re accomplishing.”
- Virginia VanLieshout, a senior dance and biology double major enjoyed laughing and spending time with the crew backstage. “It took all of three minutes before we had inside jokes and they were some of our biggest cheerleaders,” VanLieshout said. “It’s impossible to feel bad about a mistake on stage when you can see them giving you a thumbs up from the wings.”
- Junior dance and English double major Lydia Jekot said her favorite memories from the dance concert happened in the while waiting in the dressing room. “The dance concert is one of the few times of the year when the dance majors get to spend a lot of time together outside of class,” Jekot said. “I love being in that space with new costumes our things spread out everywhere and just being able to do little happy dances, walk around and talk to my friends as we’re putting on makeup, and laughing at random conversations that spark. This year my friend Gina and I made an advertisement for the body adhesive we use on for our costumes while we were waiting for Rena’s piece. I don’t think Jobst is going to air it, though.”
- “Before each show, Charlee, Shannon and I would whisper-sing ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by the Black Eyed Peas right before the curtains opened for the final number. It always pumped me up and got me excited to dance,” said Lucy Jaffar, a sophomore dance and psychology major.
- “My favorite part (of the dance concert) was huddling up, saying and doing fun things to get pumped for our performance before we went onstage,” said Nia Montgomery, a freshman dance major. Before performing the closing number “Storm” an excerpt of Turning Tides, her and other dancers would huddle up, breathe together and sing “Save the Children” by Sam Harris, the song used in the piece “Storm.”
Loyola’s Fall 2018 Dance Informance will take place at 7:30pm in the Newhart Family Theatre. Be sure to buy your tickets HERE to participate in even more fun!