A Glimpse Inside the 25th Annual Student Choreography Workshop at SAB

This year, SAB celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Student Choreography Workshop, with eleven advanced students presenting new works created over the course of two weeks. Officially launched in 1997 by Peter Martins, this annual performance gives students the opportunity to apply all their technical knowledge gained in the classroom to the creative process. In addition, students who dance in their peers’ works gain experience working directly with a choreographer. SAB’s Student Choreography Workshop has fostered renowned choreographers including Justin Peck, Resident Choreographer at New York City Ballet; Emily Kikta, New York City Ballet Soloist and co-founder of KW Creative; Gianna Reisen, the youngest choreographer ever to receive a commission at New York City Ballet; and Lauren Lovette, Resident Choreographer at Paul Taylor Dance Company.

Participating students began their choreographic process by selecting their music, honoring Balanchine’s adage, “see the music, hear the dance.” Guided by the School’s current music teacher, SAB alumnus Aaron Severini, students were able to pick music that inspired them as long as it was solely instrumental and under five minutes. When assisting with the music selection process, Severini discouraged students from using overly grandiose music that may prove overwhelming for creating movement or epochal works with a well-established place in music history (a selection from The Nutcracker, for example).

Severini emboldened students with strong visions to take risks and assisted all students in finding the right musical framework to guide their choreography. Though professional choreographers may choose to select their music later – or eschew it entirely as Jerome Robbins’s iconic work Moves – Severini explained how and why starting the choreographic process with music is a requirement for SAB students: “When it comes to the choreographic process, much of the motivation behind Balanchine’s steps is generated from specific compositional developments within the musical scores – they are one and the same. Balanchine had a substantial education in music, and it aided him greatly in allowing his choreographic ideas to flow. Because the music came first for him, and he had such a wealth of knowledge about the music he choreographed, Balanchine wanted his students and aspiring choreographers to find their inspiration in a similar way.”

“Because the music came first for [Balanchine], and he had such a wealth of knowledge about the music he choreographed, Balanchine wanted his students and aspiring choreographers to find their inspiration in a similar way.” – Aaron Severini, SAB Alumnus and Music Teacher

After music was selected and students began creating movement, Severini acted as a resource for any questions choreographers had regarding their selected music, including clarifying compositional development and navigating difficult time signatures. For particularly challenging musical scores, he created videos to visually depict how beats fell for students to use as resources. Severini explained how he views his role as an advisor during the choreographic process: “Along with their innate ability and talent, the more musical tools I can give [choreographers], the more possibilities they might be able to see in the music. With that in mind, if students find themselves getting stuck in their choreographic process, I will always have them refer to the developments and compositional choices presented in the music. If they listen carefully to all the musical layers, the notation hidden under the surface, it can often tell them what to do next.”

“The more musical tools I can give [choreographers], the more possibilities they might be able to see in the music… If they listen carefully to all the musical layers, the notation hidden under the surface, it can often tell them what to do next.” – Aaron Severini, SAB Alumnus and Music Teacher

Though the music faculty has always been involved in the Student Choreography Workshop, this year SAB introduced another resource: choreographic advisors. Justin Peck served as an advisor for students throughout the Student Choreography Workshop, and Emily Kikta has taken on the newly-created role of Female Choreography Fellow as part of SAB’s growing Female Choreography Project. As Student Choreography Workshop alumni themselves, both provide feedback and advice while assisting students in navigating their unique choreographic process.

Kikta will advise and mentor SAB’s female choreographers who will present their work again in February at the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Evening for Female Choreography. This opportunity for SAB’s female choreographers allows them to develop their work over a longer period of time and revise their dances. Kikta will also accompany students to performances in New York City that feature prominent and emerging female choreographers, including Lauren Lovette’s debut work as the Resident Choreographer for Paul Taylor Dance Company.

Throughout its existence, the Student Choreography Workshop has provided formative experiences for emerging choreographers, oftentimes acting as the first opportunity SAB students have to create work. Since its inception, 220 SAB students have choreographed for the Student Choreography Workshop. At this year’s showing, Justin Peck shared, “I have amazingly fond memories of doing this program. Before I even knew I wanted to become a choreographer, it was my chance to explore the craft of dancemaking…and I took a lot of tools away from that first experience, the main ones being how to communicate with others, how to collaborate with others, and how to connect with my peers. Those are the mantras I’ve tried to impart to the students this year.”

“Before I even knew I wanted to become a choreographer, it was my chance to explore the craft of dancemaking…and I took a lot of tools away from that first experience.” – Justin Peck, SAB Alumnus and New York City Ballet Resident Choreographer

No matter students’ ultimate trajectory, participating in the Student Choreography Workshop helps dancers build critical skills like working in a team to achieve a shared goal, sharpening communication abilities, and challenging them to problem-solve creatively. Congratulations to this year’s student choreographers who join the rank of the program’s esteemed alumni!