Spring Dance Concert Showcases Student Choreographers

Wearing spiral tie-dye shirts, Class I dancers turned and leaped across the stage to kick off the Spring Dance Concert. Introduced by Chiara Darland ’32, the audience was told to “watch how dancers embody the word ‘freedom’—freedom to be our authentic selves, freedom to follow our unique paths, and freedom to embrace our values as human beings.”

The annual Spring Dance Concert, which was directed and produced by Performing Arts Faculty Ann-Marie Ciaraldi, featured performances by Winsor dance ensembles during all-school assembly in the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Theater on April 10. 

Students in Lower School can choose from a variety of electives in voice, dance, and music in what is known as the Performing Arts Block (PAB). Students spend the semester honing their craft, culminating in a performance for the community. At the Spring Dance Concert, four PAB dance ensembles—Class I, Class II (two sections), and Class III/IV—offered a variety of styles for the audience including jazz, modern, South Asian, and hip hop.

One section of Class II PAB depicted peacocks joyfully dancing in a monsoon (choreography by Adjunct Teacher Meghma Banerjee), while another section expressed the importance of community (choreography by Adjunct Teacher Jean Appolon). Class III/IV spent the semester working on character development, performance quality, partnering, and jazz dance technique. Donning gold sequin tops, they danced to Broadway favorite “Big Time,” an upbeat, sassy, jazz number (choreography by Adjunct Teacher Samantha Rosenberg) about a performer working her way to the top. 

Dance education continues in the Upper School for interested students. For their Spring Dance Concert performance, the Upper School Winsor Dance Team choreographed their own work for four of the five performances. “This semester, the dance team has embarked on creating their own choreography,” explained Ms. Ciaraldi, a process the team began in preparation for the Winter Dance Concert.

Zora Chirunga ’26 and Robin Chávez Shirman ’27 co-choreographed Together We Stand, a work in two parts. They told the audience, “we wanted to explore how powerful women can be when they come together rather than fighting with each other.”

With an emphasis on female empowerment, Kendal Pauyo ’26 and Saratu Waya ’26 co-choreographed Divas, a piece that took inspiration from Beyoncé (“Diva”) and Lady Gaga (“Telephone” featuring Beyoncé). 

Robin Chávez Shirman ’27 choreographed a solo work called Silenced Emotions. She told the audience that she hopes her piece serves as a “reminder that we as a society should embrace our true feelings without fear of judgement.”

Dancing to Waterloo by ABBA, Madelyn Litofsky ’28 choreographed an uplifting bell-bottom-wearing duet that showcased a love of dance. 

Finally, with choreography by Ann-Marie Ciaraldi, the entire Winsor Dance Team—each dressed in a different color associated with the seven chakras and the visible light spectrum—offered a poignant representation of “Imagine” by John Lennon.

The Theater Design class ran the production under the direction of Technical Director Andres Puigbo and Technical Assistant Anna Vogler. The lighting design was by Aya Goldwasser ’27, Ayaka Hatabu ’28, and Technical Director Andres Puigbo.

Watch the recording.