The annual JBS Dance Show is an all-inclusive student-choreographed production that provides an opportunity for high schoolers to learn a variety of dance styles and to demonstrate their skills to the rest of the school. Though the COVID-19 restrictions won’t allow for the show to be put on in its usual fashion, show director Madame Kinney is determined to give her dancers and the rest of the school an opportunity to celebrate, appreciate, and enjoy dance.

Usually, the dance show process starts in November, with every dancer learning a variety of audition dances and performing them. This way, Mme. Kinney and the choreographers can discover which style best fits each person and Mme. Kinney can cast as many dances as she can from a list of proposed dances from the choreographers. Through the rest of November, December, and towards the end of January, the dancers learn their dances and prepare for the show, which takes place the weekend after MLK day.

For this unusual year, in the words of Madame Kinney, “The process will be quite difficult; it will teach flexibility, creativity, adaptability, and to think about what really matters, which is the process over the product.” She requests that the community will engage in the process by observing the final product and celebrating the people involved by appreciating and understanding what went into it.

So with that in mind, the tentative schedule for the show is that it will be cast before winter break. Starting after winter break, one dance will be worked on at a time. Week one will be hard-core teaching, either in the studio or through videos, depending on what works with the people in the dance. During week two, the manager of the dance will think about the overview of the dance: costumes, lighting, etc. The dance will then be filmed hopefully in Haertter Hall, however, there is a possibility of performing in other unique locations, such as outdoors or in other unconventional spaces. Finally, during week three, the crew will edit the dances, which will be a significant part of the process.

Once all of the dances have been filmed, they will be put together as a montage. There will be group dances, a few solos, and some guest performances, with the final product being composed around Spring Break. The community can expect a screening of “A polished compilation of time, work, energy, teamwork, art, movement, and creativity. Whatever else happens is great.” Mme. Kinney would like people to be able to think “Look how people made a lemon cake with lemon icing out of rotten lemons. Or some sort of lemony dessert.”When asked how she felt about this different version of the show, Mme. Kinney replied with positivity, saying, “The beauty of the video is that people can be safe, and even people who are completely remote can be involved.” She was also pleased that the show would be in the spring and further elaborated on this by laying out four scenarios: The best case is that the whole world will be vaccinated and there can be a live screening, while the middle case is a safe outdoor screening or smaller screening. The next step down would be Burroughs students only, and the worst case would be that no one could come to campus, and there would be an online screening event on a weekend night.

The Dance Show will certainly look different this year, but the dedicated cast and crew are ready to make the best of what they have been given. With the request that the Burroughs community appreciate the process and the dances, Mme. Kinney is eager to make this show shine despite the circumstances.

How it will work: Understand the process. This year, the process will be very different, it will teach flexibility, creativity, adaptability, and to think about what really matters, which is process over product. Ask of the community to engage in the process by looking at the product, celebrate them by watching and appreciating while having an understanding of what went into it. Imagining (with a grain of salt): we will cast before winter break. After winter break: two dances at a time, week one: hard-core teaching, could happen in the studio or learning through videos. Push in pull process with what works with the people in the dance. Week two: Manager will think about the overview of the dance: costumes, lighting, etc.. Most dances will hopefully be filmed in HH, and all the dances will be put together as a montage. Some dances may be filmed outside or somewhere else. Week three: Tech crew will edit the videos, which will be a big part of the process. A few solos, a couple guest performances. Around Spring Break, the final product will be put together. What the community can expect: a screening/viewing opportunity of the show. A polished compilation of time, work, energy, teamwork, art, movement, and creativity. Whatever else happens is great. It will be polished but raw. “Look how people made lemon cake with lemon icing out of rotten lemons. Or some sort of lemony dessert.” The beauty of the video is that people can be safe, and even people who are completely remote can be involved. The beauty of the spring and on video is that there will be many options of how and when we release and see the final product. Best case: the whole world is vaccinated and there will be a live screening. Middle case: safe to have an outdoor screening or smaller screening. Step down: Burroughs students only. Worst case: no one can come to campus, and there will be a screening event on a weekend night.