What makes up a self-portrait? Is it the experiences we have been through, or the stories we tell the world? How does the way we move through life and the people we meet shape who we are? Kaufman School of Dance upperclassmen interrogated these questions Thursday night at their latest Advanced Composition Showing.

Mood lighting lit up the Large Performance Studio as dancers took the stage in loose, billowing clothing. The students kept the set minimal, but basic props adorned the stage every once in a while: a chair, a plastic box and the moon.

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Kitty McNamee, a professor of advanced composition, said the students are allowed flexible autonomy for their advanced composition projects.

“They’re choreographed by the students themselves. My class had four studies and this is their culminating project,” McNamee said. “It’s very student-driven. So, where their interests lay, that’s where they landed.” 

McNamee warmly introduced the showcase and briefly explained the pieces the audience was about to experience. After a round of applause, the audience of around 130 people waited quietly as the lights shut off completely. 

Dancers Tamar Gabelev, Rob Hoffer, Sadie Grace Shelburne and Onye Stevenson took the stage as student choreographer Wyatt Florin’s “MOVINGPICTURES_02.DNG” began. An aura of warm, tangerine light backgrounded the dancers, and a series of photographs, shot by Wyatt Florin, a junior majoring in dance, were displayed behind them. Within the photos were the same dancers on stage, showcasing different movements through the overexposed film. 

Songs from “The Andy Warhol Diaries” by Brad Oberhofer, composed and mixed by DJ Slaterrose, accompanied the performance. It was almost as if the photos had come to life, the dancers moving among each other, bringing the movement shown in pictures to the stage. The performance slowly drew to a close as the dancers moved offstage and the lights dimmed.

Suddenly, bright white spotlights flicked on, uncovering student dancer Leeann Ross, a junior majoring in dance, as they stood before the audience. Student choreographer Anja Tempel’s “Metallic Seduction” began. A mix of “Pick 2 Seats” and “Pick a Seat (Deathrow Remix)” by Docx played, flashy and bright, the steady beat guiding the performance. Their costume, courtesy of Anja Tempel, glimmered in the spotlight, its silver composition drawing the audience’s attention. Ross moved powerfully as they struck poses to the rhythm. 

As the transition began, a circular object lay flat on stage. Dance BFA sophomore Emmy Cheung, senior Nicole Denney and senior Valerie Chen entered. Choreographer Valerie Chen’s “Ground 00:00” began as two dancers picked up the mysterious circular object. A stream of crimson light beamed from the object, startling the two and shining onto the third dancer. They each took turns with the spotlight, performing their movements as “The Belt of Faith” by Jung Jaeil played. 

BFA dance majors junior Malachi Ashley Stevens, sophomore Cardin Chung, freshman Samiyah Norris and sophomore Mia Snape took to the stage. Choreographed by Stevens, “The Presenter Presenting Presents of Presences” had two acts — the first one was contemporary and interpretative, its music slow and meditative. The second act was more energetic, upbeat music pulsed and the dancers formed a straight line behind one another. The lights shut off and a green spotlight shone on them. They ended by screaming, laughing and throwing the scarf up to the ceiling. 

Stevens, a junior majoring in dance, performed in the showcase and choreographed for “The Presenter Presenting Presents of Presences.”

“I’m utilizing three pillars of humanity, as structure, flow, emotion and how we are constantly, constantly fluidly maneuvering through all of those systems,” Stevens said. “That provides the context of who I am in space and how, who everyone is in the space.” 

Student dancers Janae Holster, a junior majoring in dance, and Valerie Chen, a senior majoring in dance, performed in Holster’s “you really think we can stay the same?” The ballad of a breakup told the story of two yearning lovers’ heartache as they separated. To the beat of Mitski’s “Two Slow Dancers,” the duo pushed and pulled toward and away from each other. The pain and longing were palpable, as one dancer sat on the floor, knees pressed against their chest, head buried in their arms. 

Leon Angel Powell’s “Out of Many, One” began with BFA dance majors senior Zay Franklin, freshman Emily Liu, freshman Julia Lowe and sophomore Enzy-J’Var Martin taking the stage, basking in a warm, tangerine light that replicated a dawning sun. One by one, they danced solo, letting one another share the spotlight. 

Closing out the show was Xavier Williams’ “DA Meeting #1,” which began with three dancers sitting on three different benches. They introduced themselves to each other and to the audience, passing around a “talking stone.” Whoever had the stone spoke about whatever they were feeling. Each dancer takes a turn speaking with the talking stone, while the others dance on their own. There is no music or sound during the duration of the performance. 

Williams, a junior majoring in dance and the choreographer for “DA Meeting #1,” said DA stands for Dancers Anonymous. He wanted the piece to start a conversation about how dancers feel about their dance journey in a universally relatable context.

“I also wanted it from a human perspective, to be stories that you might not fully relate to, but you can relate to overthinking, you can relate to whatever your passion was turning into the thing that makes you money, and now you’re worried about doing it well. You’re not just worried about having fun or enjoying it anymore,” Williams said.

Shea Hancock, a junior majoring in dance and the choreographer of “Till Now,” reflected on her favorite aspects of her major as well as the messages she aims to portray through her choreography.

“I want to live a life that’s full of art and make art that’s full of life … Dance is actually the embodiment of that,” Hancock said. “To be able to create something that is not only a visual representation of the life that we’re living but also a physical sensation of that, is the most magical thing.”