The inseparable duo of Cassie Conlan and Stephanie Levine has teamed up once again to add a lyrical piece to the MCDE show this fall. “We choreographed last fall and wanted to do another dance together,” the girls say. The two choreographers chose the cover of “Clarity” by Madilyn Bailey and Clara C in order to showcase the talented group of girls that they have.
Stephanie has been dancing since she was three and has been competing for seven years. As a senior she juggles rigorous routines as a member of the dance team in addition to the responsibilities of being a choreographer for MCDE. Stephanie’s favorite part about MCDE is the extra privilege to dance. “Dance Team is serious, so it’s nice to do a fun thing,” she says.
Cassie has also been dancing for a large part of her life and since the age of six she has been in love with dance. As a senior the most memorable part of MCDE for her was last year when the two girls choreographed their first dance because “actually seeing it come together was amazing. We actually made something,” explains Cassie.
For Stephanie and Cassie, the best feeling of creating a dance is seeing the final vision. But, even with all the dedication and time put into the piece, things don’t always work out the way they’re planned. “Some parts look good in our head, but with 26 girls, it just doesn’t work out all the time,” the two point out. The choreographers agree that the most difficult aspect of creating a dance is managing the different levels of dancers. However they agree that as long as they stay focused on their strengths and push the dancers to shock themselves, they will create something great.
Combined with the graceful lyrical movements that Cassie and Stephanie have choreographed, the strong lyrics of “Clarity” make for an empowering dance for the fall show. When you strip away the music and focus on the undertones of the lyrics, there’s a deeper and powerful meaning. This underlying message drives the team to push not only themselves, but their talented girls and once more they will get to say that they made something amazing.
Article and photographs by Deanna Imfeld
MCDE Behind the Curtain 