You Can’t “Come to Choreo”

By LAUREN STEINBERGER

Every spring students in the Jericho dance program practice choreography and promote the Choreo show with the traditional “Come to Choreo!” exclamation. What usually is a time period filled with excitement and nerves, especially for the seniors who are anticipating their final performances, took a sad turn. Little did the seniors know that a pandemic would rob them of their last show, and that their final bows had already taken place when they were juniors.

We knew with the remaining school year being online due to the pandemic that all upcoming school events would most likely be cancelled. But hearing that Choreo 2020 had been officially cancelled was heart-wrenching for the entire dance department. It was especially devastating to hear the words come from dance teacher and Choreo director Ms. Corbett. The overwhelmingly disappointing news not only affected the dancers, but also the parents who look forward to watching Choreo year after year. My mom, Janie, for one, was heartbroken for me and all the seniors. “Having a senior who was so excited about her new choreography and was looking forward to dancing and her final bows made it all more painful,” she said.

Ms. Corbett has been the director of Choreo for her 9 years at Jericho. There is nothing she loves more than watching her students evolve as dancers and light up the stage. Ms. Corbett, too, is devastated by Choreo’s cancellation and feels for the seniors specifically. “Choreo is such a special event that we work hard for year after year, but there is something special about senior year of Choreo. After three years of hard work, dedication and creativity the seniors come together and give it all they’ve got one last time. The fact that these seniors will not have this opportunity to share the butterflies, the sweat, the tears, the love, the joy, the pulse with each other is what upsets me the most. It’s more than dance. It’s more than what everyone sees the day of the show. We are a family and I am so sad that they cannot fulfill their final bow on stage,” she said.

Seniors have a very important responsibility in Choreo, which is to set a good example for the younger dancers. Senior Mikaylah M. said, “My role as a senior in Choreo is to act like the best big sister to the underclassmen–to be someone they can go to for help, advice, or anything at all.”

Seniors have to be very spirited and passionate, which is easy because the preparation for the show is so exciting. Senior Alanna P. said, “The enthusiasm for Choreo from the seniors reflects the energy of the entire show.”

Senior Michael P. agrees and added, “If we show the youngsters how fantastic the whole process can be, then they will continue to make it such a beautiful thing. They will keep the fire from dying out.”

As a freshman, sophomore, and junior, I for one have always watched the seniors in admiration, dreaming of my senior year in Choreo.

The underclassman sympathize with the seniors. Junior Ellie. K. said, “I feel terrible for the seniors because this is something they’ve been looking forward to since they were freshmen or even before that. They’ve been waiting for their senior Choreo and that’s been taken away from them.”

Sophomore Emma S. agrees and appreciates the way in which the seniors have enriched her Choreo experience. She said, “I feel awful for the seniors and I can’t even imagine what they are going through. They have been so helpful and have always made dance and Choreo so fun, and I feel so bad that they don’t get to have that their last year.”

The dance department had high hopes for this year’s show. Ms. Corbett said, “Every year Choreo just keeps getting better and better. From technique, to timing, to lighting, it just keeps setting the bar higher and higher. This year I was looking forward to our rock ‘n roll theme and just watching the personalities rock the stage. I was also looking forward to watching my senior choreographers step up their game and create their pieces for our show,” she said.

The biggest lesson Ms. Corbett took out of this situation is to “dance every moment like it is our last chance because we never know when the next dance will be.”

Despite not being able to take those final bows, Ms. Corbett would not let the seniors’ 4 years of effort and investment in Choreo go unnoticed. With the help of the seniors and Ms. Corbett’s sister Casey, who is also a choreographer and director of Choreo, she produced a video that highlights the seniors’ years in the Jericho dance department. Ms. Corbett also organized a second video that contains messages from the underclassmen.

Even though the seniors will not have their shining moment on stage in 2020, they may get the chance to dance at Jericho one more time. Ms. Corbett said, “I would love to have the seniors back next year as a chance for them to get back on the stage one last time. I think it would be a special moment for both the seniors and their families who look forward to this event just as much as their children.”

Being a senior who has experienced 3 years of Choreo, I can easily say that it is not just a show. We are a family. The bonds created and strengthened each year are unbreakable, and the hours of preparation, practice and dedication bring our entire community closer. It is devastating that Choreo 2020 was not able to happen.