From graceful leaps to sharp turns, dancers showcased their moves during this year’s Dance Troupe auditions.
Dancers gathered in the Rose Room Wednesday, Sept. 24, for upper school and Thursday, Sept. 25, for middle school to be placed into pieces that will be featured in the annual Night of Dance. This year, the Night of Dance will take place March 13-15 at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage. Dancers will rehearse after school instead of during school hours. All dancers are given the chance to be a part of the production; auditions do not involve cuts but instead focus on evaluating each dancer’s level and ability.
Led by arts teacher Andrea Locke and Head Dance Captains Josie White (’26) and Liv Karp (’26), this year’s theme of “Radiance” and gemstones, according to White, encourages dancers to let their inner light shine through in their dances. Locke said she hopes students feel empowered to try out for Dance Troupe even if they have no previous experience.
“What we do in Dance Troupe is no different than the movement anyone does in their everyday life,” Locke said. “I try to encourage [dancers] to bring that joy of movement to the dance floor and let them see themselves on stage. The whole goal is to always present the joy of movement.”
Alongside Locke, White and Karp assisted in planning the audition process. They will also take the lead in organizing and executing the show itself. “Radiance” will be both Karp and White’s seventh year participating in Night of Dance. When reflecting on their experiences, White said that the theme allows dancers to envision their dances as gemstones and perform accordingly on stage.
“I want each dancer to feel like their own unique gemstone,” White said. “We want each dancer to have their moment to shine in whatever kind of dance they choose to do and bring out the most of them on stage.”
In addition to learning movements at the audition, dancers were also prompted to focus on the intention they set for themselves and reflect on why they chose to join Dance Troupe. Locke said she wants dancers to focus on their own journey and know where they are as a dancer.
“If one dancer is ready to go with their arm up, while another dancer can barely get their arms off the ground, I acknowledge the brilliance of where they are,” Locke said. “It’s about finding the treasure in where they are and allowing them to feel that.”
This was sixth grader Vivienne Knight’s first year participating in auditions. Knight said she is excited to see which dances she is placed in and looks forward to pursuing dance at Archer.
“When I was younger, I used to make up dances all the time,” Knight said. “I’ve heard that Night of Dance is really fun, so I’m excited to be able to join and be a part of it.”
Since this is her final year in the show, Karp said, she now sees the dance program from a new perspective.
“We’ve been doing the show since sixth grade,” Karp said. “[Night of Dance] has been the most important thing for me, and I know a lot of people start in sixth grade, so we just want this show to inspire people to continue to do it.”
As the show’s production has just begun, White said she is excited to see the production grow and develop into the final product.
“I think of this year’s dance show as our child,” White said. “I’m excited to see it all come together.”
