On Wednesday, Jan. 10, the Northfield Dance Ensemble (NDE), one of New Trier High School’s many dance groups, put on its annual performance. The hour-long show consisted of 11 cross-genre dances choreographed by students. 

The show opened with an upbeat dance choreographed by senior Ginny Peterson. Students danced to “Pump It Up” by Jennifer Lopez, and the piece featured a lot of bouncing around and positive vibes. The 10 dances that followed were a mix of emotional, lyrical-style group and duo dances and hip-hop dances, with music featuring Ariana Grande and J Balvin. 

The show was almost entirely student choreographed, except for the Freshman Dance 2 dance crafted by dance division head Katie Kritek with the help of her students. The dance takes inspiration from the seven deadly sins and will be featured in this year’s Winnetka Dance Day on March 20. 

Made up of over 40 students, the dance tells a story of the Bible’s ‘Seven Deadly Sins’. The students researched what each sin is and what the consequences are if someone sins. 

Junior Helia MKR also choreographed a hip-hop dance for the show. She had been a part of NDE since freshman year and wanted to have a deeper impact on the show. MKR decided that choreographing was a way to make her mark on this program. 

“I wanted to have a part in NDE, and I wanted to challenge myself and put my dance out there,” MKR said. 

For MKR, NDE was one of her first extracurricular New Trier experiences. Looking for a way to meet new people and try something new, she took a chance on the no-cut dance program.

“I had my first experience of dancing on stage, and it was amazing. NDE just brought me so many new friends and experiences!” MKR said. 

Senior Tiana Wu also choreographed a hip-hop dance that closed the show. The dance used music from Ariana Grande. Wu described it as a feel-good dance, and it served as an opportunity to share her creativity through movement.

“I picked a song that I liked and made a dance. I specifically chose songs with a rap verse or a faster part of the song, because then I can choreograph more intricate and faster moving parts, which look cool,” Wu said.

NDE also has a straightforward and seamless way of putting together a show. After decreasing from 15-20 dances to 10-12 over the last few years, the auditions for the showcase are simply a place for dancers to pick which dance they want to participate in. 

“NDE starts with choreographer auditions and leads into a casting day where dancers get to see all the dance options and pick the dances they would like to be in,” dance teacher Lucy Riner said.

The sole purpose of NDE is to allow people to express themselves through movement inclusively and independently.

“We have very advanced dancers that are looking for opportunities to choreograph, and we have beginner dancers that are just starting their training,” Riner said.

The dance division feels this opportunity is important to give to students who may be just starting their dance careers and students who just want to be a part of something in high school. 

“NDE exists for students who are curious about dance at all levels,” said Riner.