Relaying messages in an impactful way is often a challenge, especially when it comes to difficult topics. Sometimes the best way to tell a story is without using words, but rather dance movement.
The Paramus High School Dance Department tried to do just that with its “Power of Dance” concert on June 4, during which performers connected movement with moments in history, current events and inspirational people.
PHS dance instructor and choreographer Claudine Ranieri said dance is a great way to relay a message, as it is something most people can relate to in some form.
“It can inspire, raise awareness and spark something in someone not previously realized,” she said.
Every year, Ranieri puts on an end-of-the-year concert. This year, she wanted to re-choreograph “Let’s Help,” a dance performed earlier in the year to raise awareness of mental illness. The dance coincided with Paramus’ initiative to be stigma-free and was performed at Paramus Park.
“This is a dance that needs to be done again,” she said.
The dance was created to show how people can “help” each other and erase the negative stigmas associated with mental illness. It was performed by the Paramus Spartanettes Dance Ensemble. This version was slightly different and was part of several other messages at the June 4 concert, which Ranieri said was a multi-sensory experience.
“My goal all along is to bring a repertoire to help students learn and connect with other things in the curriculum,” she said.
To do that she searched for someone she could teach about across curricula. This year she chose Nelson Mandela. Students in Dance 2 performed “Free At Last: A Tribute to Nelson Mandela,” which featured African dancing. The performance included a projection slide that was a focal point within the choreography and highlighted images of Mendela and his freedom speech.
For this concert, Ranieri collaborated with photography teachers and students, including Andrew Cruz, Michael Ferrari and Dennis Dalelio.
“I wanted to show how African dance is different than other types of dance, but to also show Nelson Mendela’s life,” Ranieri said. “I want students to deeply understand the circumstances of why he was an important man.”
She even performed her own dance piece as a tribute to writer Maya Angelou, who died several weeks ago.
“It’s to pay homage to her legacy,” Ranieri said.
Other dance pieces included “All That Jazz” as part of “Reconstruction of Fosse”; “Taking Class,” which focused on a dancer’s discipline; “New York, New York,” inspired by the New York City Rockettes; and “Thriller-Now 2014” a rendition of Michael Jackson’s zombie-themed music video.
“I’m so proud of the students,” Ranieri said of the 30 dancers. “I actually cried during rehearsal.”
She said the students worked at an “extremely accelerated pace” starting in February.
“Ultimately, I teach passion, perseverance and discipline,” Ranieri said.