One of Union’s most enduring and energetic traditions – the Lothridge Festival of Dance – once again will take place in the Nott Memorial during Steinmetz Symposium, set for Friday, May 9.
Eighty-nine Union dancers will bring their best expressive selves to the stage in an hour-long show that begins at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3:30 p.m., with attendance first come, first served. Seating is limited.
The students will perform 14 works in an array of styles, capping weeks of rehearsals, research and intensive study.
Choreography includes original pieces by seniors Sage Stinson, Anabel Sollinger, Grace Newcombe and Jolita Brettler, all dance minors, alongside faculty works by Hettie Barnhill and Laurie Zabele Cawley.
“This is a very special performance experience,” said Newcombe, who has participated in the festival all four of her years at Union. “I can see how far I’ve come as a person and dancer. I started as an incredibly shy person participating in one piece, and now I am choreographing and performing in multiple pieces.”
The event, which packs the Nott each year, is a dynamic display of connection, curiosity and artistic exchange.
“The Lothridge Dance Festival is where and how the campus community converges to celebrate dance in all its forms,” said Cawley, interim director of dance, director of the Steinmetz production, and lecturer in the Department of Theater and Dance. “It deepens our appreciation for the power of movement and the individuals who bring it to life.”
Seven campus dance clubs and teams are represented: Bhangra, Dance Team, JAIVE Afrovibes, hip hop, K-pop, Latine and tap.
Club choreographers include, along with Newcombe, seniors Sriya Baru, Faith Burroughs, Sienna Chambial, Ishika Chourasia, Sarah DeRosa, Aydana Djoroeva, Raquel Dueñas, Vivian Escobar, Paige Fox, Livi Gwinnett, Miriam Rojo Gutierrez, Pheary Kang, Caitlin LeSage, Dulce Barrios Lopez, Jennifer Mendez, Morgan Napier, Zayna Shaikh, Vaishali Srinivasan, Armaan Uppal, Sujay Vundavalli and Abby Wilder, as well as Veronica Lopez ’26, Nathan Ramachandran ’26 and Ririka Miyamoto ’28.
“Through our clubs, we express ourselves through our love for creating and dancing, and we enjoy this wonderful opportunity to share that with the whole Union community,” Chourasia said.
Dancing in their last Steinmetz Symposium performance is bittersweet for the graduating seniors, including veteran Bhangra Dance Club members.
“The current seniors have watched our team grow and improve in ways that we never anticipated, and we could not be prouder of the final outcome,” said Srinivasan. “We may no longer dance together on these same stages, but our love for this art form and the memories we made together will never fade.”
Others who have worked on the program include Claire Knecht ’26, stage manager; Andrew Bodd, technical director; Brittney Belz, costume coordinator; and Victoria Rotondi and Charlie Jones, arts administrators.
The performance is supported by a gift from Charles Lothridge in memory of his parents, William (Class 1879) and Anna. Other sponsors include Joan and David Henle ’75; Sue and Dr. Gus Davis ’59; and the Gail and Carl George Annual Fund.
