“I tend to hold back on proving myself and my ability with dance,” Kyrlowicz said. “This is my moment to show my personality through movement.” 

Krylowicz’s self-choreographed solo titled “Uncharted Chapter” is a contemporary fusion with themes of resilience and perseverance, illustrating how Krylowicz views herself as a dancer. Krylowicz said she wants to focus on being herself and enjoying her last performance with the GVSU Dance Department.

“There are times when we feel down, it’s (about) reminding myself it’s alright to choose me instead of second-guessing.” 

Krylowicz’s group piece titled “Interfuse” features rhythmic and free-flowing hip-hop movement accentuated with contemporary dance vocabulary. The piece explores the fusion of different genres of movement into one cohesive whole, with the dancers costumed in neon colors and elaborate makeup.

“I am just proud of the dancers that I had the amazing opportunity to work with,” Krylowicz said. “I learned how to test myself as a choreographer and also open the space to try something out of their comfort zone.” 

At the beginning of the winter semester, Krylowicz, Armijo, Glover and Bernhardt began the enormous task of creating, funding and performing a complete dance concert. Every part of the showcase was organized by the group, from auditioning dancers, choreographing a group piece and a self-performed solo, raising money for tech production, setting lighting trees and hauling chairs into the performance space. 

“Capstones are so special,” said Jenna Altman, who danced in Armijo’s group piece. “I’m really excited to perform the amazing works these seniors have created, especially after going through the same process last semester.”

Armijo’s group piece titled “Corporeal Projections (Of what we can’t control)” used themes of emotional identity to portray the complexity of an individual’s psyche. Her cast worked together to explore the internal push and pull within a person’s illustration of self.

“Essentially, the group piece is about acknowledging who this person in the dance is thus far in life: the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful,” Armijo said. “It’s a melancholic sort of vibe. We can see the struggle, but we also see the strength.”

Armijo added that the piece is informed by her own personal journey of growth in the last four years. Her solo also portrays similar themes in a deeper, more personal context. 

Altman said that performing in Armijo’s group piece was cathartic, as it landed in a personal place for her.

“The piece feels good to perform because I was given the chance to identify with the character and relate it to myself,” Altman said. “The piece was literally built for me to express the feelings Emma had in her vision, and in dancing it, I can identify an authentic emotional experience that is also true to me.”

Some dancers were cast in multiple group pieces, such as Haley Rosendale, who performed in both Armijo and Glover’s pieces. Rosendale said that participating in senior capstone projects is one of the most rewarding experiences in the semester. 

“My favorite part about dance capstones is getting to work alongside amazing dancers,” Rosendale said. “The connections that are formed throughout the process are really special.”

Glover’s group piece is titled “A Reflection of Me,” featuring a blend of contemporary ballet movement in a dynamic routine. Through this and his solo, titled “Unseen,” Glover was inspired to explore the authenticity and vulnerability in the choreography as a reflection of finding his own way during his time at GVSU.

“It’s about my journey in college, feeling alone and lost,” Glover said. “(It’s about) dealing with obstacles that came my way over the years and how God has helped me overcome those battles.”

Bernhardt’s solo was also a reflection on the obstacles she’s overcome, and was composed of contemporary and modern movements. Her group piece, “When the Dust Settles,” was an interpretation of the effects of societal challenges on individuals. 

“This has been a lovely process with my beautiful dancers, and I couldn’t be more grateful for them,” Bernhardt said. “Our rehearsals have always made me smile, even if I was having a bad day. I am so proud of their hard work and contribution to this process, I cannot thank them enough.”

GVSU dancer Kennedy Maynard, who performed in two of the pieces, said she finds the senior capstone projects a creative and inviting way to work with her friends. 

“My favorite part of the capstone process is getting the opportunity to connect with everyone during rehearsals,” Maynard said. “These groups are such a great support system throughout the semester, and it is nice to have people to lean on inside and outside of rehearsals.” 

Krylowicz, Armijo, Glover and Bernhardt all said they felt a special connection while working with their dancers to put on the showcase. “Moiré Patterns” was a reflection of their own unique illustrations of identity under an artistic lens and their all-encompassing, end-of-year send-off. 

Weiberg is one of five seniors completing their capstone this semester, “Strength in Motion,”

through Grand Valley State University’s dance program. The showcase is a collection of 10 entirely student-composed works ranging in movement style, theme, emotion and performance. Each senior’s group piece, as well as a self-choreographed solo, will take center stage during the performance. The showcase will take place on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. This event will have free admission and will take place in the Haas Center for Performing Arts in Studio 1600.

“I am extremely proud of the work I have put out, and being a part of each stage of the creative process,” Weiberg said. “The most rewarding moment of this process has been watching my group dance evolve and become an experience audience members can be immersed in.”

The five capstone seniors this fall semester are Weiberg, Jenna Altman, Chloe Schram, Alexandria Gilbertson and Gracelyn Guild, who have built the show over the course of the semester. The capstone showcase, “Strength in Motion,” represents a pivotal moment for the seniors, concluding four years of movement exploration, challenges and hard work. This class of seniors performed for the first time

with the dance program wearing protective face coverings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time they had finished their first semester of college, reported COVID-19 cases had reached an all-time high.

The group has been responsible for getting the performance off the ground, from holding auditions to casting dancers, choreographing pieces, hiring light and sound professionals and even supervising technical elements from backstage. According to Weiberg, the stress of managing the logistics of the showcase has made her even prouder to present the finished product. 

“My capstone experience has been so enjoyable (and) I have tried to savor every moment with my cast,” Weiberg said. “This show means so much to me, as it sums up my experience as a GVSU dance major, and displays my personal aesthetic.” 

Variations in themes and emotion throughout the show allow the audience to experience excitement and energy from the performance, as well as a contrasting emotional depth from its more complex concepts. A press release for “Strength in Motion” stated that some themes explored during the concert are growth, connectivity, frustration, vulnerability, identity and empowerment.

As a choreographer, Altman identified a vulnerability that she hadn’t been used to. She said the most difficult part of putting together the capstone showcase was trusting herself to create.

“It’s not easy to turn an idea into a product, especially handing someone else your idea so it can blossom,” Altman said. “It was very vulnerable being at the front of the room, watching the process transform into a full product was inspirational.”

Collaborating with three dancers to create a duet, Altman’s piece, “What’s said and done,” invokes feelings of domestic familiarity. The piece highlights the organic nature of conversation and the frustration of a breakdown in interpersonal relationships. 

“The piece (created by Altman) will take the dancers through a whirlwind of emotions as they converse through sharp, aggressive motifs, intentional and abrupt prop work, and various kinds of contact movements,” the press release said. 

Altman commented that the piece began as an extension of herself and developed a “life of its own” as the dancers got more comfortable. Over time, dancers began to include bits of their own personal experiences.

“I’m proud of the dancers who just understood my internal monologue,” Altman said. “They made it come alive, and I couldn’t have done it without them. I’m also proud of myself. I’ve never made a piece out of nothing (and) it was truly moving to see the dancers take ownership of the piece and become part of it.” 

Altman’s solo work follows similar notions of conversation and relationships through a personal lens. The solo “and for My Name, My Heart cries” provides an organic viewing experience that highlights “raw vulnerability within finding oneself,” according to the press release.

Schram addresses coming to terms with the social perception of being queer in a solo titled “Violet Kaleidoscope.” 

“My solo is very vulnerable and has challenged me,” Schram said. “(It pushed me) to explore my abilities, performing my own choreography in front of a large audience.” 

Schram, Weiberg and Altman collectively agreed the most difficult part of the experience was developing a self-performed solo for the showcase. Weiberg said despite the nerves of performing a solo, she looks forward to sharing all that the group has accomplished at the show.

“Creating a solo on myself was one of the most challenging tasks during this process, but (was also) very rewarding,” Weiberg said. “People can expect a fun show with a lot of different styles and emotions throughout.”

The capstone showcase demonstrates countless hours of time, dedication and passion for the craft from every student involved. This is underscored by the advanced technical training, culturally rich education and meaningful connection each senior has cultivated over the past four years. Schram said she will cherish the fond memories of rehearsing for the show over the course of the semester. 

“This experience has been very special to me, getting to work with eight dancers for my group piece, choreographing my own unique style on them and seeing it come together has been very rewarding,” Schram said. “I have loved getting to know these dancers so well, laughing and being vulnerable with them each week at rehearsal.”

“Romeo and Juliet” is the Shakespearean classic in which Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, fall in love in the midst of a longstanding family feud. The GVSU adaption sets the play in the 1930s to display a greater contrast, with the Montagues implied to be a Sicilian mafia family and the Capulets to be Italian fascists.

“I think what I was really interested in was creating a world where the Capulets and the Montagues were easily distinguishable,” said Patrick Poole, the show’s guest director.  

The play showcases this by changing the costumes from traditional Renaissance clothing to the suits and military uniforms of 1930s Italy.

“Many times, you see colors (to distinguish the families), but more, some of the ideas or organizations that they represent,” Poole said.

For the students and actors involved, many were relatively new to Shakespeare and the famous production, which caused some cast members to feel intimidated. Evan Bolla noted that playing Romeo has been the biggest role yet of his acting career.

“It was the biggest shock to the system (that) I’ve ever had in my eight years of theater,” Bolla said. “I knew it was going to be a big undertaking, especially considering I’m still very new to the theater system at Grand Valley, but I was willing to take on this big role.” 

Molly Fenn, who plays Juliet Capulet, said that for many in GVSU Theatre, the play is the first time performing a Shakespearean classic.

“Coming into the show, with it being one of the most famous Shakespeare plays, was really nerve-racking,” Fenn said. “The majority of us weren’t very knowledgeable when it came to Shakespeare (and) we had only really done one or two shows (prior).”

The old English language of Shakespearean plays can be one of the biggest challenges for actors involved. To help with this, Poole took extra time to ensure that his cast fully understood the play and its language.

“The clarity comes from the cast,” Poole said. “It’s the work that they’ve done in our (table reads) and in our scene work that has led to confidence. This will be a clear story for people to follow, even if they’re not extremely familiar with (the dialogue).”

Poole’s work with the cast, along with the modern framing of the adaption, was done in hopes that the play is easier for the audience to understand and enjoy. The attention to detail also put many of the cast members at ease and allowed them to appreciate the play to its fullest extent. 

“It feels extra rewarding when you come home from a rehearsal knowing you’ve gained new knowledge about something you didn’t know before,” Fenn said. “I’m honestly grateful we took the time to slowly move through and really truly understand what was going on, what (their characters) were saying and what every single line meant. It makes you appreciate Shakespeare for what it really is.” 

Both Fenn and Bolla are excited to perform “Romeo and Juliet” again from Oct. 10-13 and continue their work with GVSU Theatre. 

The Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival is Michigan’s oldest and largest Shakespeare festival. The festival is hosted yearly by GVSU Theatre and includes workshops, an art competition, an on-campus Renaissance Festival and a mainstage performance. The festival will go on a tour of secondary schools with a separate, shorter performance of Shakespeare’s “Bard to Go,” before stopping back at GVSU for a final production of the shorter performance on Oct. 26.

SCMC was founded in 1894 in downtown Grand Rapids, and hosts two main performances each year. The music center brings together young musicians from different schools across West Michigan. Schut said that he is excited to join SCMC, and to extend the influence of the GVSU Department of Music, Theatre and Dance (MTD) to the broader community.

“I am really thrilled to lead them,” Schut said. “It’s a full orchestra experience. We will try to tackle some major works, some standards of symphonic tradition, as well as some new music.” 

Schut added that SCMC’s youth program was his first full orchestra experience, and that he hopes his position at GVSU might influence SCMC students to pursue further education at GVSU, whether as music majors, minors or non-majors participating in MTD.

“I hope to create a meaningful and impactful first full orchestra experience for students that will inspire them to go on and continue making music,” Schut said. 

Whether Schut’s SCMC students go on to participate in MTD at GVSU or another community orchestra in the future, Schut said he hopes they will be inspired to bring people together in the community. 

“SCMC is a treasure in the community,” Schut said. “It is a beautiful space with (a) storied history. (It) has a vibrant current practice and an incredible outlook for continued growth and impact.” 

Schut added that he thinks his work at SCMC will enrich his work in the GVSU Symphony Orchestra and vice versa. Schut feels this will, in turn, benefit the local community.

“I’m really thrilled to join (SCMC),” Schut said. “I think it works beautifully in consort with my roles (at GVSU), and I think we can continue to strengthen the bonds of community partnership and great teaching.”   

While Schut is excited to join SCMC, he said that his work at GVSU is still very important and close to his heart.

“I love Grand Valley,” Schut said. “I love my colleagues (and) I love my students. I love how we can challenge each other and push our art form forward.” 

Last year, the GVSU Symphony Orchestra commissioned two pieces that will be premiering in November 2024 and April of 2025. Schut said he is very proud of these pieces, and added that the University’s Symphony Orchestra has continued to grow in both numbers and quality of performances. Schut hopes his work with SCMC will continue to help grow and impact the GVSU Symphony Orchestra.

The new program addresses an emerging area of interest for students in MTD. Traditionally, these students earn a degree in either performing arts or education of the arts, and other knowledge and skills are learned on-the-job. The new degree will focus on the business aspect of performing arts and teach the skill set students need before starting a career in the field. 

“There are many other professions within the performing arts world that don’t quite fit either of those (existing) degree names,” said MTD Associate Department Chair Dan Graser. “Enough people have gotten interested in these careers that a genuine degree is a good idea and will provide more specific training for students who may not want to be a performer or educator.” 

Students in the program would pursue work with the components that make the performing arts possible. Jobs such as arts presenter or exhibition director encompass the positions the degree is made for. 

Performance arts industry students will still be required to go through many of the same courses as other students in the MTD department. Prospective students will have to audition for the program and undergo a similar process as other MTD majors, so a background in performing arts is still relevant to the degree. 

According to Graser, students in the past have achieved a similar education at GVSU by double majoring or pursuing a minor, and specifically  through taking courses in GVSU’s School of Community Leadership and Development. Graser said the new program is a way to bridge the path many students were already taking.

Adding a program like performance arts industry has circulated the MTD department for nearly a decade. On July 12, the Board of Trustees approved the proposal to add the program at their annual meeting. Though the program passed through curriculum committees, the University’s dean and the provost, it is still not quite ready to be part of GVSU’s course offerings officially.

“The degree is not yet approved by the National Association of Schools of Music,” said MTD Department Chair Kevin Tutt. 

While awaiting approval, the University will spend time preparing the details and communicating with prospective students about the new course offering.

“When you’re waiting on an accrediting body to approve a program, you never know the timeline,” Graser said. “The earliest we would aim for is Fall 2025.”

Through the development of the performance arts industry program, GVSU is adapting to evolving industry trends, and creating a more direct pathway for students interested in the broader world of performing.