As a mix of synths and drums set a steady beat throughout Lowe Theater, seniors Kai Gomez, Genna Larsen and Rayna Kim strode, shuffled and crawled onto the VST stage. With an unconventional entrance, the dancers captured the attention of the audience and set a dramatic tone for the rest of the performance. 

Choreographed by senior Talulah Monthy, the trio performed “Futile Care,” one of the seven original compositions designed in this year’s Student Choreography Showcase.

STUCHO is an annual production that showcases the innovative and creative sides of the dance department. This year, STUCHO featured a Friday performance on Jan. 10 and an inaugural Upper School assembly on Jan. 14. 

During the opening dance, Larsen and Kim moved in synchronized patterns while Gomez split off to perform her own solo, reflecting an individual breaking free from societal expectations. 

Monthy began designing her piece two years ago, inspired by the song Vienna by Ultravox in the “Yellowjackets” TV series. She blended fragments of her various ideas into the first section of the song, finishing the piece a week before the performance.

“I really started with a story of this almost dystopian universe where everyone has to just be the same, and then one person is acting out against it,” Monthy said. “The lyrics ‘this means nothing to me,’ felt so fleeting.”

As the lights faded away, Gomez, Larsen and Kim exited the same way they entered. Then, freshman Angel Huang took the stage donning a flowy, beige dress — ready to perform freshman Angela Mu’s “Just Myself.” Dancing to Banners and Young Bombs, the piece had an ethereal theme, using angular motions to create an emotional feel. 

“It’s mainly about being lonely, but also learning to appreciate things that you see and do well,” Mu said.

Mu, a competitive dancer, was familiar with performing improv in dance competitions. When she heard about STUCHO, she felt both excited and nervous to produce her first choreography for another person. The process of tailoring her piece to her dancer was both challenging and rewarding. 

“I just felt like I had swapped souls with my dance teachers and carried that same kind of responsibility,” she said. 

During her performance, Mu was apprehensive and proud as her piece came to life. “When my dancer would land her turns and jumps, my heart would drop a little bit, and then I would feel a sense of relief.”  

As Huang ended the piece, arms drawn inward in a seated pose, seniors Kim, Larsen, Monthy and Sophie Ngu; juniors Libby Agarwal, Caroline Basu, Kenzie Chu and Lydia Huang; and freshman Joshua Jones prepared for the next piece by Gomez: “Can You Loosen Orion’s Belt?” As the lights focused on the new dance, the gray backdrop off the stage contrasted with silhouettes of the dancers, synchronizing complex movements under the limelight of the stage. 

The piece featured a juxtaposition of ballet choreography and rock music, creating a dynamic performance with an array of technical movements that left the audience both entertained and curious as to what would come next. The composition featured a solo from Jones, who performed an arabesque and a la secondes. 

As the audience’s applause faded, a new set of dancers energetically rushed onto the stage donning clothes that emulated a mixture of South Asian and American cultures. 

A Bollywood-inspired piece choreographed by sophomore Alyssa Theofanidis, “Love and War” showcased punctual and emphatic movements perfectly in tempo with the background drums of artist Amaarae. The dancers displayed a lively mix of enthusiastic backflips and dramatic solos, using the fusion of cultures to create an upbeat, positive dynamic on the stage. 

While the crowd anticipated the next piece, a spotlight came down to introduce a contemporary ballet solo from junior Erin Bray. Clad in all-black outfits and forest green socks, Chu and Lydia Huang; sophomores Emerson Chenevert, Claire Chih; and Jones joined Bray on stage to perform “Down to Earth,” choreographed by Agarwal.

“The song I used was a really creepy, contemporary song,” Agarwal said. “I based my dance on the phrase ‘down to earth,’ which comes from the idea of angels being cast down to heaven to live with humans.”

Originally, Agarwal wanted to feature her dancers in all-white clothes with green socks. Yet after a series of complications, she switched her outfits to black. When she saw her dance on stage, Agarwal could not have been prouder. 

“I was literally crying backstage because it came together so well,” she said. 

As dancers dropped to the ground in the backlines, the spotlight returned to Bray before the lights went dark. The mood changed suddenly to a bright and uplifting atmosphere as Chih and Agarwal, juniors Sasha Mintz and Basu entered the stage in neon, puffy dresses. 

“I Only Have Eyes for You” was Kim’s original piece, using music by Billie Holiday to create a jazz and swing theme for the quartet, which brought the 1930s and 40s to life in a classic composition.

“Doing this style was very performative,” Mintz said. “It was a lot about the faces and the personality that you put behind it, which made it so much fun.”

The dance featured a mix of bright lights, creating a positive environment full of kicks and twirls. Mintz praises the lighting and costume designers for bringing the pieces to life. Lighting designers Caden Brandt, Adrian Castillo, Ally Faulk, Jack Faulk, Evan Gregory, Lachlan McFarland, Grady McMillin, Caroline Thompson and Suraj Verma set the tone of each piece by enhancing the choreography and complementing the artistic vision of all the performances.

“The tech and the costuming made it feel like a full-blown performance,” Mintz said. “Even though it was completely student-run, it was so professional.”

Lastly, the SKA performance “One Last Ride,” composed by the Class of 2025 dancers, featured Amanda Frankfort, Amelia Earle, Gomez, Kim, Larsen, Monthy, Ngu, Ryan Shen and Addison Vine. This year, the seniors wanted to showcase the togetherness of the dancers. Monthy appreciated how all the seniors—from every level—were able to dance together one last time. 

“It was so great to pull everyone from Terps to Caprice One,” Monthy said. “This year, the seniors are all such close friends, and we really wanted to show that just dancing together and having fun as friends.”

With this year hosting the first-ever assembly performance, dancers were also excited to showcase their pieces for the whole student body — especially for those who could not attend the Friday performance. With the entire theater packed, the audience cheered with every lift, spin and leap to create a lively and electric environment. 

“It’s weird seeing your classmates instead of grandparents in the audience. Performing for the whole school is kind of nerve-wracking, but it’s also exciting,” Agarwal said. “We finished a lot of our dances the week of the show, but I think we set a really strong precedent for STUCHO assemblies.”