With this semester coming to a close, the Fall Dance hosted by the Sonoma State University Dance Department is nearing their opening night. Unity Through Movement becomes a collection of dances based on the ability to come together and relate to one another, to unite beyond all else. The performance is directed by Sonoma State University’s dance professor, Farrah McAdam, and she was able to open up and talk about what made this year’s performance different.

When asked how students were handling the fall dance being moved online, McAdam stated, “The Fall Dance has traditionally been the concert where all works are crafted and premiered by the students, as well as student production managers, student lighting designers, student musicians, and more, completely student-centered. It is up to the student choreographers, with guidance, to set their rehearsal times, run their rehearsals, and get their piece show ready, with the support of faculty and production staff. But doing all of this virtually has been a brand new experience for all. Only a few choreographers had experience choreographing for the camera, which can be completely different than choreographing for the live proscenium stage.”

Due to the Coronavirus, the medium entirely changed, the choreography could no longer be stage-based but needed to be performed for the camera but this did not deter these students, as they say, the show must go on. Students are now working harder than ever before to produce an entirely new production. Monthly, the students and director would get together to do a showing of their work they culminated.

“It has been a long process that had to be decided in a very short amount of time, in order to give choreographers and participants enough information and requirements for them to complete their visions. We as the whole production team had to move our parts and ideas around quickly to ensure we could best support the students. There were certainly some new elements to making a production happen that I would not have thought about in the live theater space!“ McAdam stated.

No matter the task though, these students pushed themselves and pushed through the difficult semester. As the days of isolation and seclusion went on, the motivation for students seemed to dwindle, but not for those participating in the Fall Dance. This performance is not just a representation of Sonoma States unity, but for all to enjoy and come together through these difficult times.

“First, I made sure that this full production was something the students wanted in the first place. When the semester started in August, it still felt so unclear how events might unfold and how COVID would continue or amplify the stress of the school experience. So, the choreographers and I met and chatted first about what they felt motivated to do. We could have treated the course as a deeper choreography class with no official production, host a smaller, more intimate showcase- in the end, they wanted to go for a production with the option to finish their piece but not have the pressure of publicly premiering it. In the end, just about everyone is premiering their work! In short, I don’t think I know what kept the drive for the participants, but having the students decide in the beginning what they were willing to go for, did provide a lot of agency for them to feel good in the difficult but rewarding process,“ McAdam explained, pride lingering behind every word. 

The Fall Dance will be performed from, Dec. 3 to Dec. 6, along with a panel after opening night. Instead of seating and tickets, reserve a spot through Zoom Webinar to watch. There is still time to register so do not miss your chance to catch the brilliant work of these devoted dance students.