As Williston nears the end of the fall trimester many people may be preparing for sports playoffs and trimester assessments.  But up until this past Friday and Saturday, the 7^th and 8^th of November, members of the Williston Dance Ensemble were in the final stages of preparation for their concert, Radiance.

On Friday November 7^th and Saturday the 8^th, Radiance hit the Williston Theater and the Dance Ensemble did not get to rest easy the week prior to the concert.  In fact, it was the opposite.

Sophomore Gabby Record said, “Instead of practicing in the studio, we move into the theater. We spent the entire weekend before setting lighting cues… and dress rehearsals Wednesday and Thursday. It gets pretty crazy.”

The week before the performance, also known as “tech week,” was packed with long practices and final stage preparations.

About tech week, senior Marie Innarelli said, “It is a lot everyday… we are in the theater from as soon as school is over until eight at night.”

The average practice is two hours long and during tech week, rehearsals can last for up to four hours.

Record said, “If you think about it, we really only have about six or seven practices…without a choreographer before we have to perform.”

When the Williston Dance Ensemble meets for practice, the dancers are concentrated on what they need to get done in preparation for the production. Ms. Laurel Raffetto-Boyd, Dance Program Director, said, “We are constantly working on getting our performances and dances more polished so that we can show the best of ourselves for our audiences.”

Practice is not all about mastering the techniques used in the performance either.  It includes stretching, strengthening, and essential conversations on what the members of the Dance Ensemble imagine the concert being like. Also, the Williston Dance Ensemble spent time deciding on the concert’s title as a group.

Innarelli described the process, “We all sit around and brainstorm different things we think would fit this year’s concert…and then we vote.” Based on the upbeat style of this year’s concert, the members of the Dance Ensemble chose the name Radiance. 

This process serves more of a purpose than just choosing a name, Ms. Raffetto-Boyd said. “The students are investing so much of themselves, their effort, their time, and energy into our performances that any opportunities for them to take further ownership of the production will only strengthen their experience as a member of the Dance Ensemble,” she noted.

By selecting the title of the concert as a group, for each concert, the Williston Dance Ensemble builds the teamwork skills that are necessary when they step on stage.

All in all, contributions from the entire Williston Dance Ensemble led to an amazing performance on the 7^th and 8^th of November, and the performance was a success.