On April 5th and 6th, Stern students, friends and family members flocked to Norman Thomas High School in order to see this year’s production of So You Think Stern Can Dance. This performance, with an opening number from Stern acapella group the LexSingtons, featured Stern students performing dances that had been choreographed by their peers and fellow dancers. Once again, it was an event that was not to be missed.
The event, this year run by seniors Dana Gerson and Arielle Braun, took a lot of work and time for it to become the show that it was. Practices started at the end of the first semester. Before practices could begin, however, Gerson and Braun first auditioned choreographers, and after that dancers. After they found choreographers and dancers, there were weekly practices in classrooms, where they moved desks to the sides of the rooms.
Senior Talia Molotsky was one of the students involved in this year’s show. She performed in two dances, and was a choreographer for one dance as well. “So You Think Stern Can Dance is my favorite event of the year,” she said. “It probably has the most diverse student population participating, and because everyone’s friends come to support them, there is a strong feeling of unity amongst the student body during these two nights. With the LexSingtons performing and lots of student involvement, from hair and makeup to lights and sound and sales, there was so much that went into it. Seeing students outside the classroom showcase their talents in front of women is inspiring and super fun.”
Molotsky has participated in the event for all of her three years at Stern, in Jive, Broadway, African, Bollywood and Jazz. “This is my second year as a choreographer, and my goal is to create a fun dance that will make the performers have a great time and the audience smile,” she explained. “I have made some incredible friends through my involvement that I otherwise might not have known.”
Sophomore Dalia Seiger participated in the event this year for the first time, and was featured in two dances. “Being a part of SYTSCD was an amazing experience!” she smiled. “I loved being able to see all the familiar faces from around the hallways and the caf get to express themselves through dance. From every major and path of life, we came together because of our common bond of our love for dance. The talent in this school is absolutely incredible and it was really such a privilege to be a part of this fun experience.”
Students who were not performing in the event enjoyed sitting in the audience and watching all of the hard work that went into bringing the show to fruition. “The dances were amazing,” sophomore Aderet Liss said. “I never knew that we had so much talent in our school. It’s incredible to see that the people that I squish up against in the elevator or sit next to in class [can] transform into these amazing dancers and performers.”