Branson’s dance concert, “Heart & Soul,” premieres Thursday, Feb. 6. While for most of the community, the show will only span three days, Branson’s dancers have been working tirelessly with dance teacher Alex Escalante to bring this performance to life.

Dance student Roya Becker ‘27 shares what life looks like in preparation for the concert.

The week before the concert entails “squeezing in as much [work] as possible during classtime,” Becker said. Her class has started taking pieces to the stage, so the performers can practice their routines in the format of the performance.

“The first rehearsal across the entire dance program is Friday, [Jan. 31], from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.,” Becker said. Then, the performers stay after school and begin the work of costuming.

Becker said that at this main rehearsal “a lot of time is spent figuring out blocking … and running transitions,” to make for a seamless final performance. Becker and her Dance III peers had an additional rehearsal on Lunar New Year, Jan. 29, sacrificing the morning of their day off to further polish their performance. 

Looking ahead to the week of the concert, Becker said the time commitment starts to pick up, as they have rehearsals Monday and Tuesday night. On Tuesday the dancers begin rehearsing with makeup and costume.

The day before the concert’s premiere “is a break to give our bodies a chance to rest,” Becker said. “Thursday, Friday and Saturday are all shows.” 

On the Thursday and Friday performances, the dancers will “stay after school, eat before the show, get ready for the show and talk about [it].”

Backstage before the show, Becker said, “We warm up together and stand in a circle, holding hands and passing a pulse around” — to get on an even mindset. “[Dance teacher] Alex [Escalante] talks, we all do our cheer and start the show.”

But the dancers’ work does not end with their performance. Becker noted they have to “clean up and come back to do it the next day.”

While the commitment of the dance show is challenging, balancing schoolwork with rehearsals and performances, Becker reflected that the experience “provides an opportunity to create bonds and friendships” that she and others would not have without it. 

“Dance is a really special class [because] you connect with your peers in a way only performing arts can give you,” she said. “We are building trust and relationships as we are moving together.” Whether the relationship between co-performers is positive or negative, “there’s some level of trust that has to be there.” 

Becker encourages all to attend the performance. “It’s such a unique event,” she said.