Student Chronicles: Choreographing for Showcase

By Victoria Giansante

October 17–19, Luna Aerial held our annual fall showcase. The theme? Alice in Wonderland! 

This was my first showcase with the studio (and my first pole dance showcase ever). To ease into the performance space, I wanted to be a part of a group, alongside my sister-in-law and pole dance bestie. So we decided to choreograph a pole dance routine with a group of four. Because we like to keep things nice and simple, right?

Putting together any routine comes with a set of challenges, especially if it’s your first time choreographing. Add in the challenge of getting 4 semi-new dancers on the same page, aligning schedules, and making sure everyone has a chance to shine on only 2 poles—well, you have an idea of our unique and unforgettable experience. 

From this student’s perspective (me!), I’d like to walk you through how we went from casual classmates to performance partners and friends through the power of pole. 

Our task: choreograph a routine as poisoned white roses getting painted red by order of the Queen. 

Step 1: Creating the Group

Part of the fun of this performance was bringing together different personalities to create one cohesive group. As separate dancers, we all have varying styles and levels of experience. When we first grouped up, we had no idea where to begin. No one wanted to take the lead, and we struggled to get our schedules aligned enough to meet on a regular basis. We were the last act to pick a song, the last act to begin meeting/practicing, and the last group to begin choreographing. It might sound chaotic, but it made our final outcome all the more rewarding. 

Photo Credit: Erin White Photography

Step 2: Beginning Choreo

Since we had a hard time meeting as a group in the beginning, we met in smaller groups. Two or three of us would meet at a time, and we would fill each other in as we went along. It felt scary at first, not knowing how the other dancers might feel about our ideas. We came to each practice with new concepts and lots to catch up on. Thankfully, after a few weeks and nearly every other act roughly halfway through their choreography, we finally were able to set up regular practices and begin putting our fragmented ideas together. This wouldn’t have been possible without the flexibility of the studio! Instructors prioritized performers, allowing us to create practice sessions that fit our schedules and allowed us the freedom to meet when we could, as often as we could. 

At first it felt choppy, just piecemealing together what we came up with on our own. But that’s where our creativity really began to surface. We didn’t need a group “leader,” as our group naturally began figuring out how to let each member have their own moment to shine, without losing the flow of the whole performance. With a little help from some of our favorite instructors—and lots of recording and note taking—we ironed out details practice after practice. While we may have had a seemingly late start, we caught up quickly and momentum rapidly began to grow. 

Our choreography was powerful and constantly flowing, embodying the resistance and rebellion we were trying to portray. We made sure to respond to one another through our movement, referencing our fellow performers even during our solos.

Photo Credit: Erin White Photography

Step 3: Costumes

I’d love to say we had our costumes ironed out early, but…we had our fair share of mishaps. From unexpected garments to literally cutting up and pinning our skirts, it felt like things were changing on a weekly basis. But as our dancing evolved, so did our attire needs. We maintained an openness to change along the way, and laughed off any surprises we faced. We wound up with a simple white set, and a white skirt that helped us build out the essence of our flower characters. Throughout the piece, we revisit a motif of red paint, bringing out paintbrushes and long red ribbons to signify our transition. In the end, we incorporated dark red cloaks as our characters fell victim to the Queen. 

Our costumes, though simple and seemingly ever-changing, helped us tell our story. 

Photo Credit: Erin White Photography

Step 4: Performance Night

Everyone said the adrenaline would help us nail it—and boy were they right. Every mistake made in practice sessions, every detail we were scared we’d forget…none of that mattered. We came together as a group and really felt the emotion and the energy of the piece we spent so long creating together. Between the lights, the music, the crowd, and each other, there was so much to take in and it made the experience feel so new (even after practicing over and over again) and truly unforgettable. 

Photo Credit: Erin White Photography

Showcases are great ways to enjoy the fruits of your labor and show your loved ones everything you’re capable of. It’s exciting to have the opportunity to share your passion and hard work with the world while creating such amazing memories with friends and classmates. 

If you’re ready to learn pole dance and create a routine of your very own, join us for an introductory series in Frederick, MD!