During lunch periods on Friday, January 17th, student dancers took to the theater’s stage in Loyola Academy’s annual Dance Jam. This particular performance was a preview for students who could not attend the actual show that night, at 7:00pm.

Sophomore Emma Novy, who was in the performance, explains “The show went really well! We only had eight dances, so we all really had to be on top of it.” She says that the few other dances she got to see were “strong”. She and her fellow dancers enjoyed performing for a wonderful audience.

Novy has lots of experience with dancing. Prior to dancing at Loyola, she was an Irish dancer for nine years. Novy competed all around the world as she immersed herself in the world of competitive dance. On the other hand, she also enjoyed doing modern dance, and has two years of experience. This was Novy’s way of expressing her own creativity. “I’ve always loved dance and the creativity that goes into it.”

Novy performed in the first dance of the show, “The Journey to Success.” She is in Dance Design 1, a class that allowed her and her peers to choreograph the dances themselves. “It was a fantastic way to be creative and work with others,” Novy says.

To prepare for Dance Jam, the dancers used each class period to develop and perfect their dances. The students organized everything from the music to the costumes. This process took almost three months. “It was really nice to showcase what we had been working on for so long.”

During the choreography stage, Novy’s class dealt with some struggles. She says, “We wanted everyone to contribute, but we had to have something cohesive that had an overarching theme.” Not everyone in the class was able to contribute every single one of their ideas. There was a communal agreement that had to be made in the end.

Senior Caroline Colgan, one of many audience members at the lunch-time preview, loved the show. “The show was very well put together,” she explains. “I thought that it was organized very well. Everything ran smoothly. I got to see two of my teammates from rowing dance!” One of her teammates is Novy.

Colgan’s favorite dance was performed by a number of students to Chance the Rapper’s song “Slide.” She says that it stood out to her the most because of the fantastic choreography.

Novy’s favorite dance was “The Waiting Room,” which was performed by Dance Design 2. “I thought the concept was really unique and interesting. I saw them work on it in class really hard, so to see how it ended up was really special. I thought the usage of the chairs as a prop was unlike any other performance,” she explains.

To finish, Novy says, “I think it’s [Dance Jam] a really cool thing that Loyola does. You get to see how people can interpret music and add movement. It’s a really good way to bond with the people in your dance and work on your skills.”

She looks forward to next year’s Dance Jam, and hopes it will be just as great.