Dance

Stevenson High School provides dance as a creative and rewarding art experience where artistic integrity and appreciation are developed. Dance is a physical and mental discipline. Students are provided opportunities to develop body strength, agility, coordination, creative problem solving skills, organizational skills, and the ability to work effectively in cooperative learning groups. They gain self-confidence, self-discipline, and satisfaction in movement. Dance students are given clear course targets and they are assessed on these targets regularly. All dance students are required to purchase and wear appropriate attire as designated by the dance teacher.

Dance Faculty

Audition Information

The Mélange Dance Company is composed of advanced technical dancers who are interested in exploring more about the art of choreography. Members of the dance company will choreograph, teach, and perform dances enhancing their well-rounded dance education. The Company consists of freshmen through senior dancers who perform in all Stevenson Dance productions. Students choose their music, movement, costumes, and lighting for production.

MEETS
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45-6:30 p.m. in the Dance Studio, Room 2010-2112.

COMMITMENT
Dancers perform in the Winter and Spring Dance Concerts as well as outside performances. Students also attend the Illinois High School Dance Festival and other exciting field trips.

REQUIREMENTS
Students must be enrolled in a SHS Dance class.

JOIN
Auditions are held in December and May. Students may contact the dance teachers for more information.

MEMBERSHIP
Unlimited

SPONSOR
Janet Rothwell
jrothwell@d125.org

Mélange and Repertory Auditions

Students enrolled in a Stevenson Dance class are eligible to submit an audition video for either the Mélange Dance Company or the Repertory Dance Company.

Student-dancers interested in auditioning for either of these companies for the first semester of the 2021-22 school year should join the Mélange and Repertory Dance Company Audition Google Classroom with the class code: me6hafd.

After joining, students must learn a dance phrase which is posted as an assignment, record themselves performing the phrase, and submit it to the Google Classroom.

• Audition Phrase Work video will be released: Monday, April 26
• Student Audition video due date: Monday, May 10 by 11:59 p.m.
• Audition results will be announced the week of May 17

• We will have an in-person company placement session August 24 and 25, 2021 in which students will be placed in one of the specific companies

Practices will be held at approximately 3:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for members of both companies

VIEW AUDITION FLYER FOR MORE DETAILS

Questions? Please contact:

Melinda Criglar
mcriglar@d125.org

Angela Dauphin
adauphin@d125.org

Janet Rothwell
jrothwell@d125.org

FAQ for Incoming Freshman Dancers

All incoming freshmen can take a dance course. This course may be used in lieu of Physical Education and satisfies the PE credit. (Colleges recognize this as a Fine Arts credit as well.)

What style of Dance is taught at Stevenson High School?
Stevenson Dance is a contemporary-based program.

Which Dance classes are open to freshmen?
Classes open to freshmen include Dance 1, 2, 3 and 4.

How do I know in which level I should enroll?
All incoming freshmen interested in an upper-level dance course (Dance 2, 3 or 4) must attend a placement assessment. Based off the assessment, students will be given the appropriate level placement.

All other students may register for Dance 1 with no audition necessary. 

Find out more about Freshmen Dance Placements

What if I have additional questions?
If you have additional questions please contact the Dance Office at 847-415-4761.

Virtual Spring Dance Concert 2021

The Virtual Spring Dance Concert is composed of student choreography from the Mélange and Repertory Dance Companies and the Concert Dance Class.

View the performances

Each dance was chosen via an audition process, and the choreographers developed the concept and cast the dancers for their pieces under the mentorship of their directors. Meet our guest choreographer Mindy Jackson here and view the concert program.

Virtual Winter Dance Concert 2020

The 2020 Virtual Winter Dance Concert featured students who choreographed small group works from the Concert Dance Class and the Mélange and Repertory Dance Companies.

View the performances

*Viewers must have a D125 email address in order to watch the concert.