Marist Dance Ensemble Presents “Flourish”
Conclusion of contemporary piece "Over the Love", choreographed by Mackenzie Lewis. Photo by Kaitlin La Du '26 (@kaitlinscamera.roll)
The Marist Dance Ensemble (MDE) presented their spring showcase entitled “Flourish” on April 18 and 19 in the McCann Arena. Both performances were packed with alumni, family, faculty and current students in attendance who came to support one of the largest student organizations at Marist.
The showcase was split into two acts, with a fifteen-minute intermission in between. Featured dance styles included hip hop, jazz, contemporary, modern, tap, Latin jazz, Irish step and musical theater.
On the third page of the program, MDE President Anna Freeh ‘26 talked about why “Flourish” was chosen as the showcase title.
“The theme highlights growth, transformation, and embracing change, as dancers grow both technically and artistically,” Freeh said. “Through this showcase, we celebrate creativity and individuality while inspiring others to blossom in their own unique ways.”
Freeh also pointed out that the showcase is entirely student-run. Almost forty Marist students contributed their choreography to this showcase. MDE choreographers worked either alone or in pairs to come up with original choreography to songs of their choosing to present in the showcase.
Some dance numbers that received significant engagement from the audience included “Maria,” a hip hop dance choreographed by Alice Tirakian and Alyssa Puentes; “The View Between Villages,” a modern dance concocted by Sarah Pepin and Hannah Lublin, “Someone Like You,” a contemporary dance organized by Riley Coplin and “Dream On,” a tap number choreographed by Alexa Lamaida and Riley Seymour.
MDE also makes an effort to give back to the community through its showcases. Each semester, the MDE community service manager selects two local causes to support.
This semester, the proceeds from MDE’s 50/50 raffle went to the Dutchess Outreach Food Pantry, a nonprofit that seeks to provide food and personal hygiene products to those in need across Dutchess County.
Additionally, MDE collected sports bras and monetary donations this semester in order to support The Sports Bra Project, an organization focused on improving access to sports bras all around the world.
MDE also acknowledged the successors to the E-Board for the 2026-2027 school year. These members of MDE served as shadows the past semester in order to get used to their incoming positions.
Eva Sylvain, Victoria De La Garza, Nora Boyd, Emma Reynolds, Deanna DeCamp, Desiree Sansone, Ava Ricigliano, Marina DeNezza and Annie Boyd will take over the leadership positions within the club for the upcoming academic year.
Members of the 2025-2026 E-Board, as well as the graduating seniors, were highlighted for their meaningful contributions to “Flourish.”
“Flourish” stands as another successful spring showcase for MDE, and the hard work of students was celebrated through this diverse showcase of dance.