Geneseo dance ensemble presents Rising to New Heights

Geneseo showcases creative performances to get students involved

Photo courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels

The Geneseo Dance Ensemble (GDE) took the stage this past weekend with its latest production, “Rising to New Heights,” a performance highlighting “an evening of diverse, dynamic, and original dance works,” as noted on SUNY Geneseo’s webpage. Hosted by SUNY Geneseo’s Department of the Performing Arts in the Alice Austin theatre, the show “features works by faculty and student choreographers as well as artist-in-residence Sonia Dawkins,” as further explained by SUNY Geneseo’s news publication on the event.

The show, which is directed and produced by professor of dance studies Jonette Lancos, brought together a variety of styles and themes performed by student dancers of the ensemble.

According to the college’s announcement, the program includes “Dances [which] are mentored by faculty in the dance studies program, including Lancos, lecturer Alissa Bachand, adjunct lecturers Deborah Scodese-French and Allison Thomashefski, and guest adjudicator Norwood PJ Pennewell.” As mentioned, student choreographers have contributed original pieces, including Natalia Biehl-Narvaez’s (‘26),  “Invisible Loss” and Julia Lingenfelter’s (‘25), “Keep the Rain.”

In addition to showcasing brilliant choreography, the performance put a spotlight on the collaborative nature of the dance program as a whole. Students are noted on Geneseo’s website as being not only involved as performers but also in roles such as lighting and costume design, working alongside faculty mentors. 

SUNY Geneseo, and the Geneseo Dance Ensemble as a whole, has a long history within the arts department. According to Geneseo’s website, “For many years, classes in modern dance, folk dance, and social dance were offered as part of the physical education course offerings. With the development of a general survey course entitled ‘Introduction to the Arts’ in 1954, dance became allied with other fine arts.” By the time 1964 rolled around, dance would soon become taught in both physical education and in fine arts. The Dance Ensemble itself would be established in 1968, a year after the first dance concerts would start using dancers from the physical education courses.

This semester's show was said to be a departure from last semester's show, “Threading in Motion,” according to students who have had the pleasure to witness both performances. There was more of a mix of introspective and joyous performances; most notably, one performer did a dance from the hit children’s cartoon Bluey (2018 -). According to Allison Thomashefski, dancers within the showcase do not  always know what everyone is choreographing, which makes the showcase that much more diverse and entertaining when it all comes together. 

This semester’s final show also marks the end of many members' tenure at Geneseo. In a touching tribute via their Instagram, the ensemble notes that 14 of its members will be graduating by the end of this year. 

While we talk often of dance’s artistic benefits, dance also provides many physical and mental benefits. Research highlighted by Harvard Medical School, shows that dancing engages multiple parts of the brain at once. According to their article “Dancing and the Brain,” “these regions include the motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum.” Dancing requires large amounts of coordination as well as focus while performing movements that are often synchronized with both the music and other performers. Demands such as these “helps the brain form new neural connections in regions involved in long-term memory, planning and executive function,” according to The Prevention Center. 

Harvard also discusses the physical benefits of dance in their article, “Let's dance! Rhythmic motion can improve your health.” To quote the article, “Physiologic studies have demonstrated that regular activity builds muscle and bone, reduces fat, increases aerobic capacity, lowers blood pressure, and improves the ratio of ‘good’ to ‘bad’ cholesterol. Dance has been shown to have all the benefits of other forms of exercise.”

The campus’s performing arts shows continue throughout the rest of the semester with many additional performances. Some upcoming events, according to the Geneseo Performance & Event’s Calendar, include musical productions such as Chicago, as well as concerts by the Geneseo Symphony Orchestra in April. These are both events that provide students and community members with fun opportunities to experience live performances on campus.

With “Rising to New Heights,” the Geneseo Dance Ensemble highlights the dedication and creativity of its student performers while demonstrating the impact of dance as both a creative art form and a tool for physical and mental well-being. As both students and faculty worked together to showcase their skills, the production reflected not only their dedication but also the collaborative spirit of Geneseo’s performing arts community.