Seven of Edison’s very own dazzled the stage on February 11, 2022. Seven consecutive performances were displayed by members of the advanced dance ensemble, led by Ms. Vicki Jenkins, an accomplished Broadway veteran, along with many other heights in entertainment on platforms such as MTV. One after another the audience was touched by different stories, each showcasing a different set of experiences and emotions.

What started off as a mere classwork assignment during quarantine, one which the average person would view as another task on the to-do list, blossomed into a thoughtful piece as these dancers found this project as an opportunity to showcase their voices that haven’t been heard before. Dancers Jeydy Perez ’22, Ashley Ayala ’22, Alisha Edwards ’22, Christianna Morgan ’22, Emily Rodriguez ’23, and Catalina Casitblanco ’22, truly took this assignment to the next level, and instead of just putting a few ball changes, turns, and kicks together, wrote chapters of a story with each movement.

Jenkins intended to give her dancers an outlet to showcase their identity. “I thought giving them an assignment that they could express themselves by telling a story would help motivate them to move and want to dance while at home,” she said. Through this project, Jenkins wanted to create a space where the dancers could use their emotions fostered during quarantine to create art.

After reviewing the content from the students, Jenkins found clear potential and could not miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime learning experience. “Once this took on a bigger project there was so much that I wanted the dancers to learn,” she said.

The efforts put in by the dancers throughout the year were reflected in the quality of each performance. The journey of putting on a grand production taught the team many valuable lessons which would continue to guide them throughout college and eventually their future lives. Dancer Perez described preparing for the performance to be challenging, “To be honest, preparing for this performance was hard” remarked Perez. However despite the challenges, the process provided her with an opportunity to challenge herself and develop her weaknesses.

“I want to challenge myself and just be in the moment… I ended up improving some of my performance” said Perez. The aspect of balancing performance preparations alongside personal endeavors brought out an emotional aspect within the girls. “I remember after a long rehearsal last Monday I got home and immediately went to work. I was able to connect with the song,” she said.

The showcase provided the performers with an objective to project their passions and connections with the songs onto the audience. “There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Life is hard. I want people to know that they are strong and I want them to feel like they can get through anything,” said Perez.

Ultimately, this project provided a platform for students to portray their self-revelations to enlighten the audience and propel students on their path to success and maturity in the future.