On Thursday, Nov. 6, eXpressions Dance Company, Princeton’s first student-run contemporary-focused dance group, held one of its final dress rehearsals in preparation for its “Masquerade” shows on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8.
The dance pieces represent “what is the surface and what is under the surface for a person,” eXpressions president Emma Cinocca ’27 said in an interview. She added that “some pieces are really upbeat, like the person you are out in the world,” — or, perhaps, at a masquerade ball — “and there are also some pieces that are the quieter parts of a person.” Assistant director Madeline Rohde ’27 came up with the idea for the show, which then translated into the choreography for the dance pieces.
I had the chance to attend the final dress rehearsal for the show, which gave me a peek into the eXpressions process. For Cinocca, the goal for the group was to make the show “as clean as possible so we can perform it both comfortably and with expression.” The dance group followed through.
When I got to Frist Theatre for the final rehearsal, dancers were warming up with lunges, scurrying to hug fellow dancers, and practicing sequences in individual corners.
As with almost all Princeton dance shows, individual dancers are in multiple pieces, with the average dancer taking on two to three pieces for a given show. Rehearsals, Cinocca told me, were held once per week, and additional rehearsals were held for “company” — a space where dancers run through their pieces as a group and provide feedback in addition to workshopping in various styles taught by members.
While observing the dancers prepare for the beginning of the show, the close-knit nature of the eXpressions dance community was clear: Dancers helped each other with everything from locating a hair brush to practicing a sequence. It was amazing to see the community and love that each dancer shared for each other and for dance in the room that night.
Even at the dress rehearsal, the dancers yelled the eXpressions chant that typically brings the room to silence at the start of the show. As the first piece began, my eyes locked on the stage in awe of the dancers’ ability to deliver movements with fluidity and coordination. The dancers’ facial expressions were vibrant, directly in tune with the dance pieces themselves.
The show consisted of solo and group performances, all of which were choreographed by eXpressions members. Joanna Deng ’29, a newly admitted dancer, noted that “the choreographers put a lot of work in their solos, and it’s always a delight to see everyone’s specific styles.”
The show’s music ranged from energetic tunes like “Oh Ana” by Mother Mother to the melancholic “i love you” by Billie Eilish. Each song, dancer Hope Gantt ’28 told me, is chosen by the choreographer for the piece. The costume design also brought energy: Gantt mentioned that eXpressions has a costume chair who “works with the choreographers to either crowd-source options or look through what we already have in our costume closet.” A full black outfit with a bright elbow-length red glove stood out to me, as well as a sparkly gold sequin shirt that was worn in the “Mas Que Nada” piece. The gold sequin shirt reflected the colored stage lights beautifully and brought the piece to life.
As an audience member, I could see the dancers’ dedication through their confident and fluid motion — delivering graceful yet powerful, bold movements that embodied the theme of the show. Gantt explained that her appreciation for the dance group comes from being able to go to “any eXpressions rehearsal or event and not think about anything other than [her] choreography and having fun with [her] friends.” Without it, she told me, she didn’t “know how [she] would stay sane.”
Expressing similar sentiments, Heidi Gastorn ’29 shared that her favorite part of being a member of eXpressions was the people, and that “it’s such a nice break from practice-sets and readings and all of that. Everyone is so welcoming and it’s nice to feel that you’re a part of something aside from just academics.”
My favorite dance piece in the show was “Oh Ana” by Mother Mother. The song itself begins with the singer inhaling and exhaling vigorously, which the dancers mirrored with their body movements. The song perfectly embodied the“masquerade” theme, and the choreography mirrored the song’s juxtaposition of grace and desperation. The dancers’ coordinated, fast-paced movements and facial expressions made the piece a true stand-out, with the choreography mirroring the oscillating pace of the song itself.
Attending the eXpressions dance rehearsal reminded me of one of the aspects that makes Princeton such a wonderful place to pursue the arts. Dancer Hillary Zheng ’29 articulated this, saying, “The most beautiful thing about dance and art in general is that it’s incredibly different depending on who you are and what you’ve been through ... the diversity [at Princeton] whether it be through your major or different experiences really contributes to how a person interprets a dance and how they express themselves through a dance.”
The eXpressions Dance Company delivered a beautiful performance with its “Masquerade” show, encapsulating the duality of a person and their personas. Watching the dress rehearsal impressed upon me eXpressions’ community. As Zheng jokingly mentioned: “If you’re not having fun in eXpressions, you’re not doing it right.”
Monica Zepeda is a contributing writer for The Prospect and a member of the Class of 2028. She can be reached at mz9063@princeton.edu
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