Gaining Ground 2022

Our first spring performance, Gaining Ground, took place on May 21, 2022 at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park. (And we loved the cozy theater and staff so much we’ll be doing a weekend of Nutcracker there next season!) Gaining Ground was a mixed repertoire performance that included original works and restaged classics. All faculty members had a hand in the show and we were able to thank them for all their hard work onstage at the conclusion of the show. We partnered with the Hinsdale Humane Society for this performance, to highlight and support all the good work they do for animals and our community.

The dancers performed an energy-filled Tarantella (choreographed by Ludmila Lupu), a powerful contemporary work entitled Breathe (choreographed by Mariterese Altosino), the beautiful Garland Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty (staged by Maan Almodovar and costumed by Suzanne Augustyn), an extended version of Descubriendo (choreographed by Kyle Seguin), and Oceans and Pearls. Henrietta (Kyle’s 17-year-old Italian Greyhound who spends as much time at the studio as the dancers) made her onstage debut during the pre-show speech and we hope to see a lot more of her in future productions!

The show fell between YAGP Finals and UBC Finals, so we had to balance rehearsals with competition preparations. It was a lot of hard work but as usual, really paid off in the end. We are already looking forward to next season’s spring performance!