On February 11, ABA took the stage at the Schweinhaut Senior Center again for our Valentine’s Day show. Normally all our shows contain a mixture of classical, contemporary, and character groups and solos, but this day was a little different. This special and passionate show was entirely composed of contemporary numbers, though there was one fun and exciting tarantella. Because these pieces are longer than ballet variations, the seventeen numbers showcased were enough to create an hour of showtime for the audience. At the end of the performance, there was a little surprise for the seniors in honor of the upcoming Valentine’s Day.

After a successful run through of the pieces, the show began with its opener, the tarantella piece. Despite being the only other styled dance, it was an exhilarating start, and the following performances did not disappoint. Immediately after that was a variety of contemporary solos, and at the end were two contemporary ensembles, choreographed by either Jessica Novakovich and Mimmo Miccolis. Many of these solos were brand new to this stage, and it was so inspiring to watch several people “premiere” them, particularly the juniors who performed theirs for the first time.

I, for one, performed pieces that I have never performed at the Senior Center before too. Despite only having two dances this time, I presented my solo, Riccordi, and our new contemporary ensemble, Breath of Wind, both choreographed beautifully by Mimmo. It was a wonderful experience to perform only contemporary this time, and I think it let all of us work on our expressions for each number, especially since many of these allow more emotions to be shown rather than just smiling gracefully through. I personally thought that it was also a little less stressful, but it had the same amount of liveliness from both us and the audience.

Finally, at the end, once our ending pose in Breath of Wind finished with an amusing reaction, we bowed all together, preparing to add a twist to our traditional roses. Instead of the dancers receiving the roses, we handed them out to the audience members as an appreciation gift and a Valentine’s Day gift to them. Hoping that that made their day, we walked back to the stage and gave a final bow. Because it was such a unique experience this time, I thought that it was definitely an enjoyable day filled with lots of love and support.


Publish Date: 02/20/2023