Janelle Weiberg stands at the front of a room with mirrors and ballet barres, explaining a movement to the dancers that stand behind her. Weiberg’s choreographic work titled “Tensile Strength” showcases explorative, contemporary dance forms that portray different interpretations of anxiety. Her cast of six dancers glide through the space, manipulating the use of pedestrian qualities and the natural weight of the body. As her last rehearsal comes to a close, Weiberg faces her cast, going through last-minute notes for the dress rehearsals and performances ahead.
Weiberg is one of five seniors completing their capstone this semester, “Strength in Motion,” through Grand Valley State University’s dance program. The showcase is a collection of 10 entirely student-composed works ranging in movement style, theme, emotion and performance. Each senior’s group piece, as well as a self-choreographed solo, will take center stage during the performance. The showcase will take place on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. This event will have free admission, and will take place in the Haas Center for Performing Arts in Studio 1600.
“I am extremely proud of the work I have put out, and being a part of each stage of the creative process,” Weiberg said. “The most rewarding moment of this process has been watching my group dance evolve and become an experience audience members can be immersed in.”
The five capstone seniors this fall semester are Weiberg, Jenna Altman, Chloe Schram, Alexandria Gilbertson and Gracelyn Guild, who have built the show over the course of the semester. The capstone showcase, “Strength in Motion,” represents a pivotal moment for the seniors, concluding four years of movement exploration, challenges and hard work. This class of seniors performed for the first time with the dance program wearing protective face coverings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time they had finished their first semester of college, reported COVID-19 cases had reached an all-time high.
The group has been responsible for getting the performance off the ground, from holding auditions to casting dancers, choreographing pieces, hiring light and sound professionals and even supervising technical elements from backstage. According to Weiberg, the stress of managing the logistics of the showcase has made her even prouder to present the finished product.
“My capstone experience has been so enjoyable (and) I have tried to savor every moment with my cast,” Weiberg said. “This show means so much to me, as it sums up my experience as a GVSU dance major, and displays my personal aesthetic.”
Variations in themes and emotion throughout the show allow the audience to experience excitement and energy from the performance, as well as a contrasting emotional depth from its more complex concepts. A press release for “Strength in Motion” stated that some themes explored during the concert are growth, connectivity, frustration, vulnerability, identity and empowerment.
As a choreographer, Altman identified a vulnerability that she hadn’t been used to. She said the most difficult part of putting together the capstone showcase was trusting herself to create.
“It’s not easy to turn an idea into a product, especially handing someone else your idea so it can blossom,” Altman said. “It was very vulnerable being at the front of the room watching the process transform into a full product was inspirational.”
Collaborating with three dancers to create a duet, Altman’s piece, “What’s said and done,” invokes feelings of domestic familiarity. The piece highlights the organic nature of conversation and the frustration of a breakdown in interpersonal relationships.
“The piece (created by Altman) will take the dancers through a whirlwind of emotions as they converse through sharp, aggressive motifs, intentional and abrupt prop work, and various kinds of contact movements,” the press release said.
Altman commented that the piece began as an extension of herself and developed a “life of its own” as the dancers got more comfortable. Over time, dancers began to include bits of their own personal experiences.
“I’m proud of the dancers who just understood my internal monologue,” Altman said. “They made it come alive, and I couldn’t have done it without them. I’m also proud of myself. I’ve never made a piece out of nothing (and) it was truly moving to see the dancers take ownership of the piece and become part of it.”
Altman’s solo work follows similar notions of conversation and relationships through a personal lens. The solo “and for My Name, My Heart cries” provides an organic viewing experience that highlights “raw vulnerability within finding oneself,” according to the press release.
Schram addresses coming to terms with the social perception of being queer in a solo titled “Violet Kaleidoscope.”
“My solo is very vulnerable and has challenged me,” Schram said. “(It pushed me) to explore my abilities, performing my own choreography in front of a large audience.”
Schram, Weiberg and Altman collectively agreed the most difficult part of the experience was developing a self-performed solo for the showcase. Weiberg said despite the nerves of performing a solo, she looks forward to sharing all that the group has accomplished at the show.
“Creating a solo on myself was one of the most challenging tasks during this process, but (was also) very rewarding,” Weiberg said. “People can expect a fun show with a lot of different styles and emotions throughout.”
The capstone showcase demonstrates countless hours of time, dedication and passion for the craft from every student involved. This is underscored by the advanced technical training, culturally rich education and meaningful connection each senior has cultivated over the past four years. Schram said she will cherish the fond memories of rehearsing for the show over the course of the semester.
“This experience has been very special to me, getting to work with eight dancers for my group piece, choreographing my own unique style on them and seeing it come together has been very rewarding,” Schram said. “I have loved getting to know these dancers so well, laughing and being vulnerable with them each week at rehearsal.”
