By: Tori Kim '27
Amidst the transition into a new year, in an era fraught with unprecedented change, time is an entity that many members of this community feel helpless to control. Whether it is running out of time or struggling to make it pass faster, time remains omnipresent, playing an integral yet unmanageable part in the lives of Cate Students.
The Dance Convocation theme of 2025, “Journey Through Time,” explored the different characteristics and emotions that time can evoke, whether it be grief, intrigue, romance, or nostalgia. Through different period pieces ranging from 1700s Viennese waltz, 1930s fosse, and 1960s salsa to modern-day house, hip hop, K-pop, and contemporary, the Cate Dance program led the audience on a voyage across time. The show featured creations by members of the Choreography class as well as Bethany Sutherland, Gianna Burright, and Michael Szanyi.
When asked about his vision for the show, Michael Szanyi, a faculty director for Dance Convo, said, “I was really excited to explore the dimensions of time. For example, moving really slow or fast. … As we were exploring in the studio, some ideas worked and some ideas didn't. What really transformed the vision was all of the great ideas and hard work that the students put in to explore their journey with time. I think the dancers pushed the vision forward to be more reflective, to be more community-oriented, and ultimately to be more hopeful about the passing of time.”
This year’s Dance Convo was undoubtedly an ambitious endeavor. With countless lighting cues, formations, choreography, techniques, and costume changes to keep in mind, each dancer took the test of endurance and memorization in stride during the hours of practice and tech rehearsals needed to bring this show to life. Beginning practice from the start of the winter season, dancers found that each week increased their commitment and time to learning and practicing each piece. In the final two weeks before the show, dancers ran 9:00 am to 5:00 pm tech rehearsals on Saturdays and daily 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm practices during the week.
Even when dancers found themselves lying on the floor backstage with exhaustion or taping up their sore feet, the camaraderie and spirit that propelled the show were omnipresent. When asked about the energy during these long practices, Kaykay Ercil ‘27 said, “From complete beginners to dancers who have years of experience, the dance space at Cate is a place where everyone is welcoming and supportive. After rehearsal, you feel tired, but also fulfilled.”
The effort put into the show by the dancers would be nothing without the diligent tech and lighting crew, many of whom found themselves dedicating just as much time as the dancers to ensure that the show would run smoothly. When asked about the technical aspects of the show, Richard McDonald said, “This year's dance convo presented wonderful challenges for the technical theater team. From new ramps to projecting clocks on the walls to rolling a platform with students and drums on stage, the technical team put in hours of work to make sure the choreographers' vision could fully come to life.” The student tech team, led by Mr. McDonald and lighting designer David Eck, ensured that the show ran smoothly.
All this time dedicated to the show culminated on the evening of February 3rd. Although the audience thrummed with anticipation as they entered the theater, the energy backstage was tenfold - dancers rushed to set their costumes, and the smell of hairspray and makeup filled the dressing rooms as the tech team discussed lighting and sound cues for the final time. As the show members took their first positions behind the curtain or in the tech booth, waiting in suspense for the moment they had prepared for all season, the noise slowly died. A still silence gripped the atmosphere before the first lyrics of the show echoed from the stage: “Somewhere… back in time…”
As the curtains closed to a standing ovation, the dancers’ ecstatic celebrations almost exceeded the roaring of the crowd; the blood, sweat, tears, and time that had gone into the production of the show had at last paid off. Finally, seniors Colette Chang ‘25, Yangchen Sherpa ‘25, and Zach Goins ‘25 received their final send-off through student speeches and messages in a bottle, referencing one of the closing pieces titled “Time in a Bottle.”
“I feel so grateful that Journey Through Time was my final Dance Convo, not only because it was a beautifully resonant show but because of the people I got to share the stage with, learn from, and have fun with every day,” said Chang. “From blowing air kisses to castmates in the opposite wing to our final squeeze circle before opening night, I will cherish each moment I shared with all the amazing dancers this season.”
The sentimental goodbye to these dancers and the 2024-25 Winter Dance season created a bittersweet mood, a final reflection of the nature of time: although the countless rehearsals and runs had seemed long and tedious, the dance season had indeed slipped by in the blink of an eye.
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