On January 19th, 2018, the Dance Show will premiere. For the past two years, Jennifer Kinney, a language teacher and trained dancer, has been running a “well rounded” and “organized show” according to a longtime participant, Juliet Mahony (‘19). Before the leadership was handed to Ms. Kinney, she had worked on the production for 3 years with Margaret Clark and Wayne Solomon. To achieve her goal of a coherent show, Ms. Kinney prioritizes the improvement of four things.

First, according to Ms. Kinney, she works to better “the culture and atmosphere of the dance show in general.” Every day before practice, all the dancers that are involved in pieces that day meet to do a set warm-up, curated by Ms. Kinney and a group of seniors. This not only gets the heart rate up, but it is a time for all the dancers to be together, feeding off each other’s energy. Ms. Kinney has also improved the audition process, trying to make it as stress free and fair to every level of dancer participating. The quick pace of auditions means that there is more time to fit in practices for every dance, ensuring the dances are as perfect as they can be and minimizing the stress that comes with not knowing a dance. Despite the varying skill level of each dancer, everyone is cast in multiple dances of different styles, giving each person several opportunities to be on stage. The managers of dance show are highly involved, with each one assigned a specific duty, whether it be costumes, attendance, schedule making, or music. All this advancement in organization has put together a structured and professional show.

Second, Ms. Kinney wants to focus on “the growth of each dancer.” She does so by casting them in the types of dances that will “highlight their strengths, stretch their talents, and teach them new styles.” To make things less stressful, Ms. Kinney also makes sure each dancer has moments of rest. She is always looking out for the health and well-being of her dancers.

Third, Ms. Kinney makes sure that every single dancer is taught each of their dances before winter break, allowing more time for improvement and refinement. She wants to see all of the choreographers develop their skills and learn how to administer discipline and experience new things.  Learning how to teach others is an important step in making one’s mark.

Finally, Ms. Kinney wants to maintain the artistic value of the show, making sure not only is it performed as best it can be, but that it is an accurate display of the skill sets within our community. She makes sure there is variety within the show to present the many different views at our school. With her professional experience in dance and truly awe-inspiring organizational expertise, Ms. Kinney has changed the dance show into something to mark your calendars for.