Northville Varsity Dance Company's 19th Annual Performance

The Northville High School Varsity Dance Company presents “The Nature of Movement” on Friday, February 6th, at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The annual performance marks the completion of the Dance Company’s nineteenth season. The performance will showcase the diversity, creativity, and artistic expression of the Dance Company through solo, duet, and group performances featuring professional and student choreography. The dance genres of jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, and tap will be represented.

Carly Siracusa Carlin, the Dance Company's Artistic Director shares that movement itself inspired this season’s annual performance theme. “The inspiration came from the art of dance and movement and how it applies to everything in life. The nature of movement is present and ever changing. It teaches us how to go with the flow of this ever changing life, while embracing the gift we have in the movement and art of dance.” Reflecting on the season, she adds, “The sheer magic of NHSVDC is ever present and shining as bright as ever. It carried us through a season full of challenges, curve balls, and helped us to continue to make amazing history-making and record-setting achievements.”

This season’s annual performance carries a deeper meaning, as it is dedicated in loving memory of Siracusa Carlin’s beloved father, Charlie Siracusa, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly this past November. Siracusa Carlin adds, “This season, the unthinkable happened, and I lost my Dad. Our anchor, our protector and the proudest dance dad around. His proudest moments were watching my sister and me dance, which later transformed into watching my team perform and witnessing something I created. We shared a deep love of music, and his legacy is deeply woven into everything I do and create. It is our honor to dedicate our nineteenth performance to someone who meant so much to not only me, but to our organization. We hope to make him proud as he watches this year’s performance from the best seat in the house.”

This is Siracusa Carlin’s 16th year choreographing for the NHS Varsity Dance Company and her 15th as artistic director, head choreographer, and coach. Born, raised, and trained in New York City, she is an accomplished dancer and award winning choreographer. The theme of this nineteenth season and its meaning has been deeply profound for Siracusa Carlin as she navigates through one of life’s greatest challenges – profound loss. “As I am watching my beautiful team of 23 – teaching, loving, guiding, creating, and dancing while my heart is bleeding in grief – that is the nature of movement. It pushes us forward even when we feel like everything has stopped.” Siracusa Carlin is going into this season’s annual performance with complete gratitude and pride. She adds, “The dance company is stronger than ever and our bond is unbreakable. This organization is a remarkable treasure, one that I am forever grateful for. The team of Season 19 is an absolute dream. From the talent, the continued strive for excellence, to the most beautiful, caring, giving and loving hearts; they are the heartbeat of this one of a kind, unique, and special organization. Leading this dance company is one of my greatest blessings.”

The Dance Company’s Season 19 Leadership Team of Captains is three of its seven graduating seniors – Aurelia Calabrese, Sophia Dowell, and Lilica Hayami. Each have been on the team since their freshmen year at Northville. They each shared their experience on the Dance Company, also known as NHSVDC. Calabrese says “NHSVDC has provided me with the dance community I never had, and has given me best friends I never would have met without it. As a freshman, it gave me a support network of older girls to look up to and ask questions. Now as a senior and a captain, I’m trying my best to be that for all of the younger girls. Dance Company is also a challenge, especially as primarily a ballet dancer, and it has allowed me to improve my technique, stamina, and range of genres. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to be on this team and to learn and grow with these girls.” Dowell adds, “Being a part of dance company has been one of the most meaningful parts of my high school life and has taught me so much. This team gives you a chance to meet so many people and creates friendships you will keep with you throughout all of high school. Especially getting the privilege to be a captain my senior year, I learned to not only be a leader and take on new responsibilities but to also enjoy my last year with my close friends and hold onto so many good memories.” Hayami adds, “I appreciate and value the time I spent at Varsity Dance Company as it has given me a place where I felt like I belonged at school. The team has given me so many wonderful performance opportunities as well as all our bonding time outside of practice. This company has taught me how to be a leader, to be harsh when needed but to lead with kindness. To always be honest with all your peers and help each other grow. I am grateful for all the friendships and connections I made through this team and I will always treasure these 4 years of being on this company.” Siracusa Carlin’s especially grateful for her team captains. “They are my trifecta and they define the word exactly – a perfect set of three. This season they guided us with strength and love and brought us to the next level, all the while taking care of me when I needed it most. We are so lucky to have them. The last four years have been a journey nothing short of remarkable.”

For its nineteenth season, the Dance Company has 23 dancers, each having different and diverse backgrounds in dance. Siracusa Carlin adds, “Each dancer brings their own individuality to the Dance Company, creating a dynamic and inspiring environment. Through collaboration and shared experiences, the dancers continue to grow – learning from each other, pushing beyond their comfort zones, and deepening their appreciation for the many dimensions of their beautiful art form.” By uniting their individual strengths, the Dance Company has proudly performed at the NHS Fall Pep Rally, NHS Homecoming Parade, NHS basketball games, Northville Holiday Lighted Parade, and the Collaboration Concert with the Novi High School dance program.

One of the Dance Company’s most defining features, student choreography will be highlighted in the nineteenth annual performance. Seniors, Aurelia Calabrese, Ana Currie, Sophia Dowell, Lilica Hayami, Corinne Spindler, and Junior, Emily Oros are the student choreographer team for the Dance Company’s nineteenth season. Calabrese will be marking her third year and Currie, Hayami, and Oros will be marking their second as student choreographers. The annual performance will mark the student choreographer debuts of Dowell and Spindler. Siracusa Carlin adds, “The student choreographers this year have brought remarkable creativity and vision to the stage. Each piece reflects a unique perspective, enriching the performance as a whole. I am so proud of the dedication and effort they have poured into their work.” As they reflected on their time as student choreographers, the team captains offered their insights. Calabrese says, “My favorite part of Dance Company is the opportunity to choreograph a piece. This is my third year choreographing, and every year teaches me something new and improves my choreography skills. I love seeing my ideas come to life and this has been such a unique experience that sets Dance Company apart from other dance teams.” Hayami adds, “I am particularly grateful for this opportunity to create and teach my piece as it gave me so much creative freedom. I learned the entire process of choreographing from picking the music, to creating edits of the music, to creating choreography and changing it again and again. The process also taught me how to actually teach the dance and I enjoyed seeing my vision come together. Dowell states, “One of the things I enjoy about this company is the opportunity to create a dance of your own and teaching your friends. With this being my first year doing student choreography, I enjoyed spending more time working with my friends who joined my piece and learning a new sense of leadership and responsibility.” Following an audition process, selected student choreographers work in close collaboration with NHSVDC Artistic Director, Siracusa Carlin, to shape and finalize their pieces for the annual performance.

The Class of 2026 is represented by Aurelia Calabrese, Sophia Dowell, Lilica Hayami, Brooklyn Alyea, Ana Currie, Corinne Spindler, and Kano Yoneyama. The annual performance will feature solos, a duet, and group performances by the Dance Company’s graduating class. Siracusa Carlin has special bonds with each of her seniors and losing seven is very bittersweet. She adds, “My seniors are my ‘Spectacular 7.’ They’re the backbone of this team and the hole they will leave will be tremendously hard to fill. They’re absolutely incredible young women with hearts like no other. The world isn’t ready for what they will do. It’s been an incredibly beautiful journey and I’m so grateful they trusted me to guide them.” Team Captains Calabrese, Dowell, and Hayami will also be celebrating four years on the Dance Company.

Tickets for “The Nature of Movement” will be available for purchase prior to the start of the performance at the NHS Auditorium Box Office beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 each.