Convocation Series Dance Convocation

By Eswyn Gray '23

If you haven’t seen this year’s Dance Convocation CLUE?, I highly recommend watching the recorded video. You’ll get 55 minutes of mystery and intrigue. The popular board game transformed into a dance production and kept the audience guessing: Who murdered Sargeant Green (Jae HallCollins '23)?

This year’s performance was particularly special to me. I have been dancing all my life and have performed in many shows. I’ll never forget the camaraderie that was formed in the making of CLUE?. More than 30 dancers performed and kept the audience guessing whodunit until the very end, but for me, it’s no mystery that the culprits were the cast and crew who shared their talents and passions.

Student Story Editors Tree Payne '26, Kendall Rhee '24, and Bailey Shaw '24 helped to weave an engaging narrative, crafting the plot and motives. Each character was inventive and colorful with a distinct personality and backstory. The production explored the universal themes of love, greed, envy, and revenge. The story was narrated by voice actors Shelby Kernisant '23, Tree Payne '26, Bailey Shaw '24, and Jade Trimble '25 and recorded by Ember McMullen '24. Thanks to this team, the audience went to a dazzling party and witnessed a murder.

The production was the creative vision of Dance Director Brooke Melton who mentored and guided the group. Instructors Gianna Burright and Bethany Sutherland provided intricate choreography, showcasing various musical genres and dance styles. As a student, I also appreciated the opportunity to choreograph, and other students enjoyed this challenge too. Jae Hall-Collins choreographed a fun and captivating ensemble piece featuring the Greedy GoodFor-Nothing Gold Girls performed by Ella Chang '23, Devon Lack '23, and Carly Weinberger '23. They danced to “Rich Girl” by Gwen Stefani. It was exciting to see the dance come together from the early days of practice in the studio to the glittery dress rehearsal on stage. I choreographed the dance for Ms. White (Ceci Todd '24). She was a lover of sparkle, diamonds, and all things lavish. That’s why I thought it was fitting that her dance was set in the ballroom to “Sparkling Diamonds” by Nicole Kidman. For this piece, I aimed to capture her grand and opulent personality using many lifts and high kicks to do so. Dance Convocation takes a team; our instructors, student choreographers, and dancers worked together to perform a story through music and movement.

Off the stage, so many helping hands made the show run smoothly. Stage Manager Noor Harwell '24 and many other crew members elevated the show with technical elements. They created a unique ambiance with sound, lighting, and smoke.

To promote Dance Convocation and to get the rest of Cate excited, Ella Chang photographed the characters in costume. Her photos captured the mood of the production for the program, posters, and Instagram posts. Bea Thompson '23 helped the stage and characters come to life with her assistance with costumes and props. And Anna Morse '24 helped dancers look their best and get into character with her stellar make-up tips. In addition to being talented dancers, Ella Chen '23, Carly Medina '23, and Abby Oke '24 gave the best hugs to everyone on tough days. These are just a few examples of how the creative process requires collaboration and a lot of heart. Everyone involved made the experience magical and memorable – the real whodunit.

I love the Dance Convocation group. Each member gave all they could and inspired me to do my best. As Co-Dance Captains, Jae and I have been excited to see how much the dance program has grown over the past four years. We’ll hold on to the memories.

To next year’s Dance Captains, Colette Chang '25 and Ceci Todd '24, I know you will be amazing. I can’t wait to see what you do! And to my dance community, I’m grateful you’ve been my people for the past four years. Sending you love and the best of luck for the years that follow. I’m going to miss you all!