Nature Nature- an exploration of the natural talent and enthusiasm of dancers at Cate (Madeline Losey '26)

Every year, Cate School Dance puts on a performance for the entire community to enjoy. This year, with a theme centered around nature and climate change, dancers came together with a variety of styles to immerse the audience in an assortment of elements. In order, the names for all of the dances are “Survivor,” “Orbs,” “No Chorus,” “La Tortura,” “16 Shots,” “Leaves,” “Landslide,” “Girls,” “All Good Girls Go To Hell,” “Beat Slaya,” “Rope,” and “Legends Never Die.” Aside from “Survivor,” “No Chorus,” and “Beat Slaya” all of the dances shown were done from student choreography. Each had its own vibe and character, but all came together to form the convocation.

“Orbs” was the second dance performed, which included the synchronization of all of the dancers on stage and the immersion of the audience. Dancers strolled off of the stage, filled the aisles of the theater, and prompted audience members to join them. Those included were handed glowing orbs and instructed on how to dance, putting on a show for the rest of their fellow viewers. Although it was for a short bit, the inclusion of spectators immersed the audience into the various elements being shown.

“La Tortura,” choreographed by Sahar Shariah, Sofi Ridgeway, and Maya Fausto was a Latin dance designed to incite energy in the audience. It was one of the smaller dances, but as Maya Fausto ‘26 said, it “only made it feel all the more intimate.” The stage started with only four dancers, but they were later joined by an assortment of partygoers, who according to Maya Fausto ‘26 “ continued to bring energy levels to new heights.” Once this excitement peaked, there was a transition into darkness which led to “16 Shots,” the next dance on the agenda.

“16 Shots” was a high-energy hip-hop dance with a heavy Afro-beat influence. A key part of this song was just having fun, as well as making sure that all dancers got highlighted. When asked about this, Abby, who helped choreograph “16 Shots,” said, “No matter what grade or experience, we wanted everyone to have a little moment to have their time to shine.” She incorporated this idea in the choreography by having dancers take turns dropping down so that small groups within the whole group could dance their own part and have their own time to shine. Overall, “16 Shots” was a high-energy dance, composed of smaller groups within one larger group.

Similarly, K-Pop was yet another high-energy dance that worked to incorporate different styles and skill sets while highlighting every person’s character. Tonfai ‘24 explained how there were 37 different formations to learn and the challenges of learning everything while making sure that everyone keeps up to speed and has fun doing so. She also explained how a key process in choreographing Girls was incorporating many different K-Pop elements without copying them directly, and really exploring what makes a dance K-Pop. There was so much time, planning, and practice that went into each and every dance, and as Tonfai Nokhong ‘24 said “K-Pop's fast-paced maneuvers really showcase the level of talent and dedication that all of the dancers have for their pieces.”

When asked what made dance convocation special, Kay Ercil ‘27 immediately described the positive environment where everyone hyped each other up, and where “everyone can be themselves with no judgment, and you're just kind of bonding in a community where there is no judgment and all love for each other.” The love for dance and a positive environment united the dancers and helped encourage an immersive, memorable, and beautiful experience.