Tartan Dance Company Shines at Woodbridge Dance Celebration

St. Margaret’s Tartan Dance Company attended the Woodbridge Dance Celebration 2023 last weekend in Irvine. The company competed against 25 other schools in the areas of Medium Jazz, Small Contemporary, Extra Small Open, and the grade 10 and grade 12 solo categories. 

Four of the dances in the competition were choreographed by St. Margaret’s advanced dance and composition honors students (Maddie Sapra, Czarina Couig, Ashley Shanahan, and Ella Pintar) and one of the dances, titled “Hypnosis,” is part of the company repertoire choreographed by St. Margaret’s Director of Dance Kirsten Harvey and the dancers. 

“Student-choreographed work is almost unheard of in the high school performance teams and companies,” Mrs. Harvey said. “I am incredibly proud of what the dancers accomplished at this competition. It was a learning experience and challenge that they will never forget.”

Despite illness prior to the competition, the company performed well. Ashley Shanahan received 2nd place in the highly competitive 12th grade solo division. Emma Evanson stepped in and learned the Small Contemporary Dance titled “Work Song” in one day. “This is a professional-level skill that Emma was challenged to take on and successfully accomplished,” Mrs. Harvey said. 

Tartan Dance Company will perform in St. Margaret’s Spring Dance Concert on April 22, featuring new choreographic works by students and faculty as well as a brand-new company dance piece titled “The Last Goodbye” by Czarina Couig.