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By: Talia E, age 12

For National Choreography Month (or NACHMO), choreographers from all over the nation create original choreography during the month of January. On February 17th and 18th, Glade Dance Collective produced a showcase of DC choreographers, with Joy of Motion and NACHMO DC co-presenting the show at the Jack Guidone Theatre. This performance was something so original and creative and the passion for dance was bursting through in each piece.

I was able not only to attend a NACHMO performance, but also see all of the hard work from both dancers and volunteers, working both behind the scenes and on the stage.

The dance studio atmosphere made me skeptical how a studio could be turned into a theater. But the volunteers, including me, removed the wall between the two studios, pulled rises from the back wall (which normally go unnoticed during class), and positioned light and speakers in order to create the magical, theatrical feel. With big curtains draped across the windows and beautiful lighting on the stage, as well as a tech booth, I was certainly amazed.

Everyone who was a part of this really had the goal in mind of sparking joy and passion. Particular pieces brought something so original, including a piece about social justice and rights in the United States or (one of my favorites) a large group of multigenerational performers demonstrating the importance of life through the power of dance. I noticed that as the dancers put more emotion and drive into their dancing, the audience responded, waiting to see the rest of the story and eager to see how everything turned out. It was very clear that the music and dance spoke to the audience, and they listened.

This is so important for everyone to be able to experience. Joy of Motion carries their mission out into the confusing and stressful world we live in and shares something as simple as joy, which we can all understand. The universal language of dance is uniting people across the nation.

Talia has been a student at Joy of Motion since 2014. For her bat mitzvah service project, she is volunteering as a “student reporter,” writing a series of pieces about different elements of Joy of Motion’s programs, in the studio and in the community. Thank you, Talia, and stay tuned for more!