By Nancy Dahal ‘28
With finals approaching from around the corner, the Wyoming Seminary Dance Company brought a special surprise with their annual dance performance. Presented on Friday, May 8th and Sunday, May 10th in the KCCA, the Forty-Fifth Jubilee provided the Wyoming Seminary community with a transformative artistic experience. Pieces varied heavily – from the poignant Dance of Knights to the upbeat Broadway Works, as well as the fan favorite disco piece featuring some of SEM’s favorite faculty members; audience members truly time-travelled. The hard work of everybody involved was evident in the end result.
With a small cast of twenty dancers, the production created a space for artistry to thrive through many different genres and compositions. This year, along with many upper school students, three new lower school students were also able to bring their passion to the stage. The production additionally featured many alumni including Robert Zaloga ‘20, Samantha Barcia ‘22, and Brennan Twardowski ‘10. With their contributions, the production was a massive success.
All of this was made possible especially by the work and commitment of Mrs. Bernadine Votjko. Madi Szafran ‘29, a new member to the SEM Dance Company, gushed about her experience: “I love it! Even after doing theater for 9 years, [performing in the dance show] has helped me grow so much in only a few months!”.
Many students had a hand in bringing the performance to life, and not just by performing. The Choreographer’s Workshop contributed incredible pieces to an already astounding performance. The six dancers involved in the Choreographer’s Workshop this year were: Aniella “Nelly” Gabello-Timinski ‘26, Hannah Salesky ‘26, Melina Ospina-Wiese ‘27, Emma Murphy ‘27, Aubrey Fisher ‘27, and Mary Jane Michaels ‘26. In regards to her creative process, senior choreographer Hannah Salesky ‘26 stated, “Choreographing a piece for the show has been a great experience. It taught me a lot about movement and composition, teaching, and all of the technical aspects of the show as well!”
The forty-fifth annual dance show was a testament to the time and hard work of the students, choreographers, and teachers involved and reflected the bigger commitment Mrs. Votjko and her dancers have been putting into the company for decades. Hopefully, the Wyoming Seminary Dance Company continues to provide such wonderful performances for years to come!