The Greenhill Dance Company has tripled in size due to the new freshmen class. As a result, the Dance Company is able to explore new choreography that they were not able to prior.
This year, the class holds six members, a significant increase from the two members last year. Out of the two, one graduated in 2023.
“The big challenges were trying to create differences in our choreography because there is not a lot of diverse positioning you can do with two or three people,” senior Natalie Stachowiak said. “I think with a bigger group, it will be a lot better to use the space more efficiently and interestingly.”
The freshmen allow the group to perform in a new way and have more intricacy in their performances, raising the quality and rigor of their pieces.
“I think it will be useful for us because we have freshmen all the way to seniors,” Stachowiak said. “There is a difference in ages which doesn’t really happen in a lot of classes. So, it will be good to have that range and be able to interact with people from different grades.”
Upper and Middle School Dance Instructor Kelly McCain says she is excited that the younger group will help the dancers create a close-knit group and grow together in the years ahead.
“The cool thing is I have a lot of kids that took dance all through middle school and they just carried on in Dance Company in the Upper School,” McCain said. “I feel this is the first year since COVID that we’ve kind of gotten back because it’s one senior and the rest are freshmen. “
One of McCain’s goals is also to allow her Middle School students to continue and grow throughout her Upper School class.
“I always wish I could show [the dancers] what [they] look like in the future to show them how much they will improve by 12th grade,” said McCain.
