IB Dance Showcase Brings Choreography and Technical Theater Into Focus

As the school year draws to a close, the IB Dance Showcase offered a culminating moment for student performers, while revealing the technical precision behind what audiences see on stage.

Held in the Guy Lott Jr. Auditorium, the evening featured original choreography developed over the course of the year, alongside returning guest artists and graduating seniors taking the stage together for one final performance.

What distinguished this year’s showcase was the depth of collaboration between IB Dance students and Upper School technical theater. Students in Honor Stagecraft Production and Advanced Technical Theater worked alongside choreographers to translate artistic intent into production design. 

Using the ETC Gio@5 lighting console – a system used widely in professional theater – student designers programmed more than 200 lighting cues. Each transition was carefully timed to support shifts in movement, tone, and pacing, shaping how each piece unfolded for the audience.

The process began prior to Spring Break, with dancers and designers working in partnership to explore how lighting could influence atmosphere and meaning. With only one week in the auditorium to bring these elements together, students navigated a condensed production timeline that required both technical fluency and creative alignment. 

This work was further supported by the TAS chapter of the United States Institute for Theater Technology (USITT), connecting students to industry practices and reinforcing the program’s emphasis on real-world application. 

The result was a performance where choreography and technical design operated as a unified language. Lighting did not simply illuminate the stage – it shaped the experience, framing how movement was seen, felt, and understood. 

At TAS, the IB Dance Showcase reflects more than performance outcomes. It highlights a process rooted in collaboration, where students take on the roles of artists, designers, and problem-solvers – working together to bring complex ideas to life on stage.