Dancers will perform original works during annual Student Choreography Showcase

Salve Regina’s dance majors will present new works during the annual Student Choreography Showcase, directed by Lindsay Guarino, associate professor of dance and chair of the Department of Music, Theater and Dance. The performances will be Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Casino Theater.

Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for military and seniors, $8 for Salve Regina faculty and staff, and free for Salve Regina students. To purchase tickets, go here.

The Student Choreography Showcase features new works created by nine students majoring in dance at Salve Regina. The students are either choreographing concert dance works for the first time or have set choreography in previous years, and every piece in this showcase expresses a choreographers’ lived experiences — whether it is sharing their personal style through their movements or telling a story that may be too complex to put into words.

Choreographers for this year’s Student Choreography Showcase are as follows: Livia Armstrong ’25, Zoe Banks ’23, Morgan Dubay ’24, Maddie Gellatly ’23, Trinity Leite ’25, Sara McCormick ’23, Julia Paulo ’25, Mackenzie Robichaud ’24, and Taylor Steeves ’25.

The show is titled “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” which was inspired by Julia Paulo ’25 using this gesture in her piece, according to Guarino.

A photo from a past showcase.

“When rock, paper, scissors showed up in a student’s piece this semester, it made me think about the power of symbols,” said Guarino. “I was also struck by the irony of a childhood game serving as a choreographed symbol for negotiating complex human experiences and emotions.”

An exciting addition to this year’s showcase is that Pitches with Attitude, Salve Regina’s student a cappella group, will also perform during the show. Student choreographer Maddie Gellatly ’23 invited them to collaborate with her for a piece on Alzheimer’s entitled “Dimenticare.”

“Dimenticare means ‘to forget’ in Italian,” said Gellatly. “This piece is dedicated to my grandmother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019. I wanted to show not only her journey, but the one my family and I have taken since her diagnosis. She has been one of my biggest fans when it came to dance and inspired me to continue making dance a part of my life.”

Pitches with Attitude will be accompanying the dancers on stage for “Dimenticare,” and they will also be featured as they weave their way throughout the entire performance with songs like “Jolene” by Dolly Parton and “Wings” by Little Mix.

This photo is from a past performance.

“A program goal is for our students to find their unique artistic voices. In no place is this more evident than the annual student choreography showcase,” said Guarino. “This show positions their voices front and center, and the showcase always has a different energy and feel than our other concerts. The students truly amaze me by their dedication to their craft, the stories they share and their care in bringing their works to the stage.”

Performances will be Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Casino Theater. To purchase tickets, go here.