All about Lucille and Chava’s dance - Beauty in Strength

Every dance presented at the Gala has been choreographed by one of our talented teachers, with one notable exception: Beauty in Strength. This dance was choreographed by the performers themselves, Lucille Harrison and Chava Teitler, of Thursday’s Modern V dance class. Tasked by Ms. Brittany with the monumental task of creating their own choreography, in addition to song selection and costume choice, it is their desire for you to recognize not only their unique strengths and beauty as individual dancers, but also how their strengths complement one another in the art of dance.

The two were immediately in alignment when it came to music selection. Lucille sent the first song she had in mind for the dance, and Chava immediately agreed that it was the one. “I listened to it, and I really liked it. So, I was like, this is amazing. That’s it.” – Chava, on her reasoning for choosing the song Experience by Daniel Jang.

Initial discussions and planning focused on establishing a few, general shapes to be drawn by the dancers’ movements. As the dance developed, Chava and Lucille more finely assigned poses and transitions along that structure. As each dancer assumes one pose after another, they can eventually complete a shape before moving onto the next one – with smooth transitions in between. The girls explained one of their most difficult challenges to overcome was the marriage of their individual styles and moves, in a way that was visually appealing and cohesive.

“It was very fascinating, not being told what to do in advance and having to start it from scratch… I have all these ideas, but I don’t know how to make them work together.” – Chava

When asked what emotions went into their choreography, the two described Beauty in Strength as a personality-driven movement.

“[We want to] make movement based on what we do, who we are as people.” – Lucille

Strength in Beauty is a telling of Chava and Lucille’s stories, and what makes them who they are both individually and as a unit. Being a piece wholly original to the two of them, they have hinted that it will be full of their favorite moves and styles.

“Joyfulness through sorrow” was the girl’s desired tone with Strength in Beauty. That is not to say that it is a solemn number, and Lucille would like to remind the audience that the two have carefully left room for the viewers’ own interpretation of what feelings the dance will invoke.

Despite the struggles and challenges of producing their very first choreography to be performed in a production, Chava and Lucille explain that they were able to work so well together because their differences—not in spite of them. “A lot of Lucy’s strengths were things that I would have a much harder time doing” Chava explained. The girls covered each other’s bases, and were able to produce something that truly showcased their combined strengths as dancers and as individuals.

“The experience of creating our choreography, ‘Beauty in Strength,’ was profoundly eye-opening and magical. This choreography taught me not to rush to form a story, but to let the movement speak for itself. Through exploring and wandering into what this dance meant to me, I was able to find how to portray who I am in my movement: Through who I am internally and externally. This conclusion led me to recognize how dance allows me to express endless creativity, passion, and freedom. I am so grateful for this opportunity at Selah to share this piece, and I am humbled and thankful for this creative journey that allowed me to explore and express who I am through dance.” – Chava Teitler

“As you watch our performance, it is my desire that you will recognize our unique strength and beauty as individual dancers, and how our differences complement one another in the art of dance. Chava has a natural gracefulness when she dances and her commitment to dance, and encouraging spirit inspires me to be a better dancer. It is my hope that my strength and beauty can do the same for her. I would like to express my deep appreciation for the dance instructors at Selah. This opportunity has shown me how instrumental good choreography is in developing a gala piece, but also how many other decisions must be made to create an inspiring performance. Selecting music, lighting, stage placement, costuming, and so much more is necessary in developing a performance that’s ready for the stage. And our instructors do this for multiple classes every year. I am grateful for each teacher’s commitment to excellence in performance and to our dance education. Thank you, Miss Brittany, for this opportunity.” – With love and gratitude, Lucille Harrison

Selah Academy is proud to present Strength in Beauty, a beautiful piece assembled entirely by two of its endlessly talented students.