By Kari Patron/Staff Writer

Professor and Artistic Director Janie Morgan is set to perform and direct her last performance with the Repertory Dance Ensemble at Missouri Valley College. With meaningful pieces and special guests, Morgan will say goodbye to Valley this week since she will not return in the fall.

“There are a lot of guests in our concert. There’s a lot of variety. There are some very fun, joyful pieces. There are also some serious heartfelt pieces. There’s a piece dedicated to parents, friends, and family. Loved ones. There’s also a piece about high school shootings. So there’s a lot of variety.”

Performances are on Thursday, April 20th and Friday, April 21st at 7:30 pm and Saturday, April 22nd at 2:30 pm in the Eckilson-Mabee Theatre. The concert is free and will include a variety of dance styles including jazz, lyrical, modern, and contemporary.

There are a lot of feelings with this concert being Morgan’s last performance with Valley, but what she feels the most is excitement.

“It’s exciting to see the growth in the dancers,” Morgan said. “All of them, even those that are freshmen, but especially the juniors and the seniors that I worked with a lot. Their growth as human beings, as dancers as choreographers, as performers. I’m just excited to be backstage with them and have this experience.”

MVC Seniors Amber Newsom, Jenasyn Baker, and Amaijah Ibrahim, along with Juniors Kylie Aversman, Amanda Apostlethwait and Andi Freese choreographed dance numbers will be showcased at the concert.

Morgan also choreographed an intergenerational piece with a cast of 24 dancers.

“The dance I’m looking forward to the most is the reunion,” Morgan said. “I’ve invited former repertory dance ensemble dancers to come back. So just having a chance to dance on stage with them all is exciting, but I’m looking forward to all the dances.”

This dance will feature former repertory dancers from the past 15 years and young dancers from the community. 

MVC students Kylie Aversman, Jenasyn Baker, Chloe Campbell, Lindsey Curtis, Thania Figueroa, Andrea Freese, Victoria Heglin, Amaijah Ibrahim, Lucinda Lombaard, Natasha Louw, Kaylynn Opdenbrouw, Amber Newsom, and Amanda Postlethwait form part of the Repertory dance ensemble.

Dancer Thania Figueroa is enjoying the rehearsal process and seeing it all come together. She thinks the community is going to like the concert. 

“I think they would enjoy it and see a bunch of different pieces,” said Figueroa. “The pieces this semester have a deeper meaning so I think people can get something out of all these pieces because they all have a story behind them.”