There were three winners of the spring choreography competition, Choreo Comp, on April 20: Ava Smith, Madelyn Orr and Clair Koch. However, Choreo Comp also featured new dancers and a variety of dance styles that haven’t been seen before in the competition.
Dancers (Not in order): Kyro Ayla Harrington, Nola Cosme, Rachel Taylor, Natalia Smith, Zay Craig, and Ray Hill. Picture courtesy of Aspen Laslie.
New Styles in Choreo Comp
Choreo Comp is student-based and skill-focused. Students are free to enter any piece and perform in any dance style of their choosing. While the most popular styles of dance featured in Choreo Comp are modern dance and hip-hop, this semester’s Choreo Comp featured a colorguard routine and a tap solo.
The colorguard piece was not the first colorguard piece featured in Choreo Comp, since another colorguard piece was entered in last semester’s Choreo Comp. However, this semester’s colorguard piece was chosen specifically as a tribute to one colorguard member, Jayden Antcliff.
As the group explained in their song’s description, “We decided to do this peace because Jayden is graduating, so we might not be able to spin together again. We created a rifle piece to spin together, just in case it is actually for the last time.”
The tap solo, performed by senior Jenna Stone, was the first and last time she entered a piece into Choreo Comp. Stone also said, “I do wish I had convinced my younger self [to participate]. I would’ve liked to experiment with different styles, since tap is so niche.”
However, Stone was surprised by the amount of support she got from the other dancers. Stone said, “Choreo Comp has always been something I’ve been really intimidated by, because of how much talent and bravery it takes to choreograph and get up on stage… I was super impressed with how much support I got, which definitely made it less scary and made it a super positive environment for everyone.”
Performers (From left to right): Sarah Pugh, Jayden Antcliff, and Maya Kreider. Photo by Aspen Laslie.
Underclassmen Shine Through
Despite the spotlight being on seniors for most of the competition, the underclassmen also brought a new perspective into Choreo Comp.
One sophomore dancer, Abby Shoup, debuted in this Choreo Comp. She gave insight on how it feels to get up on-stage for the first time, and said, “The scariest part was definitely going up to the stage before competing … [but], as soon as the music started, my nerves were gone.”
Another sophomore, Brynlie Sanders, has performed for Choreo Comp twice, and her passion for dance has continued to thrive through it. She said, “Choreo Comp, to me, is a wonderful opportunity to show off amazing choreography and talent to those who come! It’s a great way to learn what you need to improve on and helps with choreography in general.”
An usher for Choreo Comp, Aspen Laslie, has taken some inspiration from Choreo Comp, and said she would be open to joining the competition in the future. Laslie has been around the Liberty Dance department for years, but has never entered Choreo Comp before.
She said, “My sister was in the dance program when she was here. So, I’ve been around Liberty’s dance program for a while, and I kind of [already] knew the inner workings of LHS Dance. I have not used it until now, but now I actually get to get behind the scenes for the first time.”
The three Choreo Comp winners, Ava Smith, Madelyn Orr and Claire Koch, were invited to have their solos included in the spring dance concert, “Dance Alive!”
