“Power of performance.” I have had the pleasure over the past month to watch my daughter, Gabby, perform twice now at Colby College, where she is a freshman this year. As I mentioned in my newsletter video, this weekend Gabby performed and helped choreograph her theater club’s performance of Singin’ in the Rain. And, before Thanksgiving, she was a part of the Dance Department’s annual fall show. Both of these productions were amazing and, of course, filled me with an enormous amount of mom pride. However, it is what one of her dance professors wrote in his director’s program note that I really found so moving and appropriate for our All That Jazz community leading into Studio Showcase Week.
Matthew Cumbie wrote in the Colby College, “Break, Burn, Build” program: “In performance, artists occupy a peculiar position; the site of performance is simultaneously one of power and vulnerability. We ask that you watch these works with equal parts generosity, curiosity, and patience, ready to be surprised, moved and challenged… You will see performers making choices in the moment, testing their edges, taking performative risks, working together, and inviting you to witness it.”
And, this was for a college performance! When I read this, I immediately thought of our All That Jazz dancers and, in particular, how this pertains to Studio Showcase Week. Many students look forward to Showcase Week all year long and have greatly missed the opportunity to show exactly what we do in class to their families live and in person over these past 3 years. While other students may find this week more challenging, as unlike at the recitals, there is no hiding behind stage lights. Your smiling faces are right there, mere feet away from their dancing bodies…
Whether your child falls into the former category of “can’t wait, so excited” or the latter one of “a little more ambivalent,” either way they are pushing their boundaries and tackling some aspect of nerves, self-confidence and, yes, even a little bit of stage fright. Every child deserves to be recognized for their accomplishments and this incredible, courageous feat.
We teachers are so proud of our students, your children, every single class, all year long. We are so excited to welcome you, starting on Saturday, into our studio home. We are thrilled to be able to give you a glimpse into just how unbelievable and inspiring all of these dancers truly are- once again live and in person. To paraphrase Professor Cumbie one final time, we too believe in “the power of performance” and can’t wait to show you all that this entails within our All That Jazz studio walls next week.
