2026 Dance Alumni Takeover Showcase

Mahaney Arts Center, Dance Theatre

“Under Earth” Octavio Rose Hingle ‘17 presents under earth, a ritual of devotion inspired by the gardening memoirs of queer English filmmaker and AIDS activist Derek Jarman. Through movement, song, and poetic monologue, the performance maps a personal ecology of pleasure, grief and erotic transformation across the landscapes of the San Francisco Bay.

“Carry-On” Graham Shelor ’23 expands upon a solo originally developed during his junior year at Middlebury College. The work began as an inquiry into the shaping of identity by place and the shifting performativity required to inhabit new spaces. Using the airplane as a central metaphor, the dancer embarks on a journey toward an unknown destination, navigating the tension between who they have been, who they are becoming, and what must be left behind. Today, the movement vocabulary evolves to reflect the passage of time and the lived reality of post-graduate life. Through intentional shifts in composition, dynamics, and aesthetics, this expansion asks: What does the body now value?

“Journey to Soul” Sonia Hsieh will guide the audience through a 20-minute shamanic journey often referred to as a “Soul Retrieval” process in indigenous traditions. This guided experience draws inspiration from variations commonly used in iboga journeys by the Bwiti tradition from Gabon, Central West Africa. By shifting brainwave patterns from beta to theta states, audience members will have a taste of reconnecting with their souls at the level of the subconscious mind. Participation is highly encouraged!