The production of the 19th annual Afternoon of Student Choreography (ASC) is the only student-led production at Poly, and students worked tirelessly to prepare and showcase their talent. This year’s theme is “Dancing Through Nature,” and took place on Sunday, February 7, after being rescheduled from February 1, due to the Monday midterm that was rescheduled due to the snow day on January 26. In addition to choreographing the dances, Poly students were also in charge of the lighting, costumes, and music of the performance.
Seniors Eden Golomb and Akeelah Binns co-directed this production. Golomb has been participating in the event since her freshman year and is looking forward to seeing what the students put together this year. “Something really unique is when it gets to the stage, people just light up, and they just dance so much bigger, and it just all comes together,” she said. Golomb further explained how, as students, Golomb and Binns “have less authority over people because we’re their peers. But it also puts us in a unique position because we’re also in [the performers’] position, because we’re also learning from other choreographers.” This gave them the ability “to empathize and understand each other’s experiences,” said Golomb. With the student dependency of the event, Golomb was “really excited for all the puzzle pieces to fit into one picture, because now it’s really stressful.”
Senior Suri Sun, a student choreographer, shares the same sentiment as Golomb. Sun had been participating in ASC since her freshman year and is excited to move her choreography to bigger groups. This year, she choreographed for her entire Advanced Dance class of 13 students, which is new for her, as she used to only choreograph solos or small groups.
Sun is also dancing with her K-pop club, X Over, which she founded with junior Jenesis Bartholomew in the showcase. Sun said, “there are no limits,” and students can be “in multiple dances if you want.”
“This is one of the biggest opportunities where Poly dancers get to showcase their creativity,” she said.
While the production is focused on maintaining the student-led aspect of the process, Performing Arts Faculty, Dance, Samuel Turner serves as the Artistic Advisor of ASC, meaning he provides the “structure, guidance and support to help [students’] ideas come to fruition,” as Turner put it. He also helps students accept leadership with ease through “rehearsal strategies and communication,” so that they can “lead their dancers with confidence and intention,” Turner explained. He works with the student leaders throughout the production to make sure everything is on task and to ensure the show pleases both the performers and the audience. Turner described how “This process helps students understand not just choreography, but how individual works come together to create a meaningful, well-crafted production.”
The Poly community enjoyed the production, and they not only saw a performance, but a well-crafted show that brings together hard work, determination, communication, creativity, and student leadership.