This year’s annual Fall Dance Concert brings to the stage a diverse range of works capturing the unique interests and research inquiries of the dance thesis students.

“We have such an interesting array of different dances that are being shown. They are all very true to the choreographers and I think it will make for a really amazing show,” Lucy Whitelam ‘26, a dance thesis student, said.

Running Friday, Nov. 14 to Sunday, Nov. 16, the concert will showcase the work of four dance thesis students, Sam Monogue ‘26, Liz Nahigian ‘26, Amara Ogbonna ‘26 and Whitelam. 

The work being presented is a culmination of their dance studies throughout their time at Bates. Ogbonna said her thesis is centered on self expression, asking questions of “Who am I?” and “Who do I become when I dance?”

“I’ve noticed every time I dance or I’m in a dance class much of the questions I have are in the matter of identity and my positionality, I feel like it was only right to go deeper into that and explore it with other people as my cast as we come together as a collective but also highlight our individuality,” she said. 

Ogbonna said that dance has been integral to her time at Bates and she looks forward to sharing her work with her loved ones. 

“I feel like dancing is a huge part of who I am, so anyone who’s close to me being able to see that is going to be such an important thing for me,” she said.

Manogue’s thesis is a deeply emotional one, centering themes of nostalgia and memory in looking back at her time at Bates. 

“I looked at music attached to certain films, and in certain forms of entertainment and how that brings back memories or brings back feelings for people and for audience members,” she said. 

Manogue said this show is going to be a special one. 

“The entire show is student created, everything you’re seeing is student created, it’s from the minds of the students. Every part of the set, every dance, costumes, with lots of support…but you’re really watching your friends work and it’s really connected to their Bates experiences,” she said. 

Whitelam’s thesis casts a colorful and upbeat energy on stage as she explores the relationship between music and dance.

“My thesis is examining how one informs the other and playing with the intersection, doing things that aren’t expected but also really playing to music with my movement,” she said. 

Whitelam said she is eager to watch the piece come alive. 

“I am feeling really excited to see it fully produced, it’s fun to dance but I think it will be really cool to build the world of the piece through lights and costuming and everything.” 

Nahigian takes a more introspective approach, examining  how somatic principles of bodily and kinesthetic awareness and interception can drive the movement generation process. 

“I’ve loved creating this piece and the individual time I had in the studio where I could just make whatever I wanted and kind of just be a little weird and move the way I wanted to,” she said. 

Nahigian said the fall dance concert is an outstanding opportunity to see the hard work of all the dance thesis students. 

“People should come to the fall dance concert to celebrate dance and the arts within Bates College. I think that all the choreographers have spent so long, some even years, creating this work and it’s really exciting to be able to show that.”  

For more information and tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/o/bates-department-of-theater-and-dance-11151285383.