Source: Coronado Unified School District
Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) Classical and Contemporary Dance conservatory is preparing for the spring production of Myths and Mortals on May 13 and 14. Conservatory Director Gina Bolles Sorensen explained the process, “There are 18 original dances in the show, 12 of which are choreographed by students, and six by faculty. Our 13 dance students are all part of multiple dances,” she said.
Daniela Finch, a junior in CoSA Dance shared, “We are really excited about the show, especially because it’s right after AP exams… It will be a great release!” A photo of Finch was selected by Sorensen for the event poster. “Every December we welcome professional dance portraitist Doug McMinimy into our studio to take photos of the dancers. They get to select their own poses and movements for the photo shoot. When I was looking at all of the photos, this one jumped out at me as truly mythic, a perfect fit for our show’s theme,” said Sorensen.
Finch added, “We get to do whatever we want for the photos. I just brainstormed some things and tried that. I had my hands on the ground in the pose and then told him I was going to lift them and the photographer caught it.”
CosA provides the professional photography opportunity to help students prepare for career and educational pathways after high school. “It is critical to have an online presence and materials to use for interviews, etc. We help our students create that, and having photos is essential. Also, it (the photoshoot) is a fun reward after the hard work of the (fall) show,” explained Sorensen.
Finch transferred to Coronado High School as a student in the CoSA Dance Conservatory last year. She appreciates the opportunities the program has provided. “I wanted to really explore dance in the best way and combine it with a good education. I want to go to college and double major in dance and something else, but I haven’t decided what else yet,” she said.
Finch has been dancing since she was three-years old; competitively since she was ten. Her favorite forms of dance are Contemporary, “because it’s abstract and there is a lot of room for exploration in it,” and Jazz, “because it expresses confidence and has fun elements like tricks and turns,” she said.
Both Sorensen and Finch are looking forward to showcasing the talents of CoSA Dance with the community at the May event. “Our student choreographers have done a great job. The dances are complex and layered,” she shared. “It’s really a wonderful program,” she said of the show which is inspired by mythology, with insights into sacred fables that explain natural phenomena and the human condition. The dances will bring a fresh perspective to the classical tales and illustrate how dance gives new meaning to the stories that give us meaning.
Performances are on Friday, May 13 at 7pm and Saturday, May 14 at 7pm, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center Main Stage located at 650 D Avenue. Tickets are available at the box office 45 minutes prior to performance or online at cosafoundation.org/tickets and range from $5-$20.
Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) is a premier public school arts conservatory, home to 170 scholar artists grades 9 through 12, who attend the nationally ranked Coronado High School. CoSA provides an intense, pre-professional arts education to students from all over San Diego in six conservatories including dance, digital arts, music, musical theatre and drama, technical theatre and visual arts. For other upcoming CoSA events, visit www.cosasandiego.com.
Source: Coronado Unified School District
