West Cook News

The Orchesis Contemporary Dance Company will present its annual Fall Showcase this weekend at Oak Park and River Forest High School. The performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

The showcase, directed by Betina Johnson, will include 15 original pieces. Four of these are group dances choreographed by Orchesis members, while the remaining 11 are solos developed by students in the school’s Company Dance class. Each solo was created through a process involving reflection, feedback, and revision.

“Many students come in thinking of themselves only as performers,” said Johnson. “But through this process, they realize they are also artists and creators. They discover that what they have to say, through dance, matters.”

The event highlights student involvement in all aspects of production, including choreography, peer critique, lighting, sound design, rehearsal coordination, and music editing. Johnson described the showcase as “a collective but uniquely personal statement. Each piece is an expression from the heart, and that takes courage.”

The Orchesis program at Oak Park and River Forest High School is intended to empower students through dance. The company’s name is derived from a Greek word meaning “the art of movement.” Johnson noted that the program allows audiences to experience student-led work that is developed and refined by students with support from their teacher and peers.

Oak Park and River Forest High School serves grades 9 to 12 and had an enrollment of 3,393 students in the 2019-2020 school year. The school is located in Oak Park and Cook County, Illinois. The student body during that year was 56.9 percent white, 18.2 percent black, 12.6 percent Hispanic, and 3.8 percent Asian, according to the Illinois Report Card (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Tickets for the showcase will be available at the door.

Showtimes:

Friday, Oct. 24 – 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 25 – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 26 – 2:00 p.m.