Dance Productions

The Principia College Performing Arts Department is proud to present its annual spring dance concert at McVay Centre for the Performing Arts. We welcome three alumni performers and choreographers as well as six student choreographers. Dance faculty Erin Lane premieres a thrilling contemporary ballet work set to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons recomposed by Max Richter. Join our cast for an riveting and diverse evening of dance! Genres included: traditional and contemporary African and Afro-fusion, contemporary Indonesian, screendance, and contemporary ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, and tap. This year’s show also features a dance piece with musical composition by a student composer and choreographer. Choreographers explore themes of the seasons of life with friendships and dreams and through turmoil, transformation, and tradition.

The Principia College Theatre and Dance Department is proud to present its annual spring dance concert at McVay Center for the Performing Arts. We welcome alumni performers as well as guest choreographers from Houston and St. Louis, with two faculty and eight student choreographers. Dance Production 2025 is eclectic and electrifying! Summer 2024 Olympic breaking coach and artistic director of Mezclada Dance Company, Joel Aguilera, presents an exhilarating world premiere hip-hop piece for six students and Principia dance faculty, Erin Lane, presents a stimulating world premiere contemporary modern duet with original musical composition and live performance by composer/violinist Evan Ghislin (C’20). Former St. Louis Ballet dancer and teacher Joy Baker, shares her near 60-year journey with dance in an autobiographical piece that highlights the many milestones of a dancer’s life. Student choreographers bring continuous excitement to the program with three dance-for-camera pieces, Mexican Folklore fusion, 1920s Big Band style pieces as well as comments on femininity, found family, hardships of friendship, and the joys of childhood. 

Dance Production 2024 was thrilling and diverse. The cast performed dances from genres such as Latin fusion, Southeast African, contemporary modern, jazz and hip-hop, tap and musical theatre. Guest, student, and faculty choreographers explore themes of friendship, humanity, community, sisterhood, loss, rebellion, community apathy, musical theatre hits, and traditional cultural dance.

Dance Program’s Annual Spring Mainstage: Dance Production

Join our cast for a diverse evening of dance; including a wide variety of dance genres—Mexican Folklore, West African, ballet, modern, hip-hop, contemporary. Thirteen choreographers explore themes of motherhood, community, the passage of time, sports, the overturning of Roe V Wade, traditional cultural dance, memory, examining one’s thoughts, honeysuckle, and celebrating the good times.

Duvall Theatre: McVay Center for the Performing Arts

Senior Capstone by Eloise Esseks

Independent Dance Major, Eloise Esseks, presents her perspective and research on the overturning of Roe V Wade via an emotionally deep and thought provoking dance performance.

Duvall Theatre: McVay Center for the Performing Arts

April 1

Directed by Erin Lane with student, guest, and faculty choreography
April 14 – 16, Duvall Theatre in the McVay Center for the Performing Arts
“Any problem in the world can be solved by dancing.” ~James Brown

Principia College Dance premiered the institutions first site-specific dance concert with a sold-out 8 show run on April 15, 16, 17, 2021. The performance also included a virtual viewing option through the platform, On the Stage, which was widely accessed and enjoyed! Hear students talk about the process and see rehearsal footage in the video below:

35 performers--students, faculty, live musician, and community members--were involved in the show. Students worked with two faculty choreographers and 10 student choreographers. Additionally, 6 students worked with guest artist Lynn Peterson, Co-Artistic Director/Dancer of SYREN Modern Dance in New York City setting company repertoire (excerpts of Dolce choreographed by SYREN Co-Artistic Director Kate St. Amand). Due to COVID-19, the show parameters shifted to a virtual presentation. All dances were performed as in-progress showings on stage before students left campus and archived via video. The official virtual presentation included videos of pieces in their stage version and a new dance-for-camera version of each dance. Enjoy the Finale of our Virtual Dance Prod 2020 below!

Dance Production 2019 showcased 11 student choreographers, including a dance-for-camera piece that was presented at the “Give Dance a Chance” festival at Alton’s Jacoby Arts Center in November 2018. Guest artists included: Keli Brooke Hermes (upbeat group jazz piece) and San Francisco-based artist Hilary Palanza (contemporary trio). The show featured 36 dancers and showcased hip-hop, swing, jazz, modern, contemporary, Afro-pop, and Irish styles. 

“This year, student choreographers are being inspired to use their art as a vehicle for healing, to spur continued conversations on social issues, and to challenge norms in our immediate college community,” Lane says. “Their bravery—and that of the 36 cast members—make the show a must-see event.”

Dance Production highlighted five student choreographers, one alumni choreographer, two guest choreographers—Karen Montanaro (world-renowned mime artist) and Ashley Tate (Artistic Director of Ashleyliane Dance Company)—and a work by faculty choreographer/director Erin Lane. The show featured 27 dancers, showcasing mimedance, hip-hop, rhythmic tap, swing, modern, and contemporary styles.

“Students are zooming in on themes of communication, women’s empowerment, support systems, individual struggles within the human experience, and the unity that can be found after the struggle,” Lane says. “They are showing that dance is a powerful medium for individual expression through artistry and technique.”