Abby Whelan ’14, Staff Writer

The dance program at Newark Academy is well known throughout the community for its creative and talented individuals. Whether it be a morning meeting performance, a pep rally, or a concert, Danielle Sidi and Kelly Lazarus are two performers that you can count on to delicately dance their way into the spotlight, dazzling the community! These two accomplished dancers, both in IB Dance, have worked tirelessly this past fall term, not only performing in several dances choreographed by both teachers and by fellow students, but also by choreographing their own pieces to coincide with the community art show theme: inTENtion.

Danielle Sidi has been dancing since she was five-years-old. When asked to comment on IB Dance, the most rigorous dance course offered at Newark academy, she said, “I think it pushes dancers to their greatest ability as a choreographer and teacher. I like it because it showcases the potential talent you didn’t know you had.” Sidi’s love for dance was certainly expressed through her choreographed piece for the community art show. The dance was carefully thought out and beautifully executed by the dancers, all of whom were from Sidi’s advanced class. Sidi stated, “The song has a lot to do with it. I picked out ‘Breathe Me’ because my friends were listening to it and it went with my theme ForgotTEN…So with a song and a theme I put together moves I’ve been trained to do since I was 5. I also thought about the talent and moves my dancers could do and incorporated unique things into their parts. The group usage not only brought out the theme of the dance but it made it easier to clean. One person can make a mistake in a solo and no one would know, but group work makes it harder to teach. I just pictured how I wanted it to look in my head and brought it to life and I am so pleased with how it turned out.” Ms. Luxenberg also commented on Dani’s final product, and stated, “What’s such a challenge is that you have a vision when you choreograph your own piece, but then when you have to teach it to the dancers, and when you have the bodies in space, it may look different than you imagine, and you have to go from there. Dani did an excellent job highlighting each dancer’s strengths.”Sidi’s dance was a beautiful representation of her accomplishments in the dance program at Newark Academy throughout the years.

Kelly Lazarus, yet another talented individual, has as much heart and passion for dance that she does soccer and lacrosse. She is somehow able to transform from a true force on the field into a dazzling performer on the stage year after year. Lazarus has been dancing since she was young, maybe two or three, and she states, “I love dancing because I am able to express myself in ways that words can’t. Dancing also acts as a great distraction from the real world. It is beautiful, unique, and there are no boundaries.” For her choreographed piece for the community art show, she chose to use the theme of TENsion. She commented, “When I started choreographing dances in ninth grade, I knew from day one that my group piece was going to be something that involved modern dance versus ballet dance. I just loved the idea of two dancers doing the same basic moves but with modern or ballet twists. When we were told our themes needed to involve the word ‘ten,’ I automatically saw the word tension. I chose a song that allowed me to create sharp and fast movements, as well as slow and smooth movements. I did not want to create a beautiful dance, but one that made the audience move to the edge of their seats. The composition of my piece was already thought of, I knew I wanted to trap dancers in a circle and have two groups ‘physically’ fighting each other; however, the specific choreography was not easy. Since I have not taken a ballet class in a few years, I had to reteach myself some of the basic moves of ballet.” Ms. Luxenberg was complementary of Kelly as well, because she recognized that, “Kelly’s biggest challenge was trying to simplify her choreography for the dancers in order to convey the message, and even after the stress of having her performance being postponed, Kelly was able to adjust and continue on in a professional manner. I think that the student dancers realize through the project some of the challenges that come with teaching, and I thought Kelly especially handled this very well.” Lazarus, truly passionate about dance, also commented on the challenging IB Dance course at Newark Academy: “I like the IB Dance program because it forces you to learn about styles of dance that are unfamiliar to you. It also teaches you how to be a good performer and choreographer.” Her talent and passion are clear through her work this year, both on and off the stage, as both a dancer and choreographer!

This past fall has showcased many dancers at different events. Each advanced dancer has shown grace and flexibility that only dancers may show on stage, however, these two girls and their choreographed pieces have stood out among the rest. Both Danielle Sidi and Kelly Lazarus are inspirations to the community, shining in the spotlight doing what they love.