Rider Dances tell unique stories through vibrant, creative pieces in the 2026 spring show

By Stacie Hueter and Morgan Dickens

Vibrant costumes, eye-catching stunts and beautiful choreography graced the stage of the Bart Luedeke Center Theater on April 2 and 3. Friends and family arrived excitedly and brought flowers to support the dancers as The Department of Performing Arts held their annual spring Rider   Dances concert. 

This year’s program consisted of six pieces, each with their unique style of dance, music and engaging visuals. The choreographers selected the best dancers for their pieces, ranging from jazz, hip-hop, vogue and contemporary. White masks, suitcases and bold feather boas were some of the creative costume design choices added to the dancers’ wardrobes. Each dancer brought drama, passion and smooth moves needed to positively impact the dance’s quality. 

The choreographers coordinated with the Production & Administrative Team to color the stage a variety of hues to harmonize with the mood of the piece. They also managed the sound quality to ensure the audience stayed immersed.

Megan Mazarick, one choreographer and director of the production, is an assistant professor of dance. She currently teaches a 100-level, a 200-level and a 400-level dance course within the department. 

The program opened with Mazarick’s piece, “the push pull factors.” In her creative process, Mazarick shared that her piece came from “the way people choose to migrate what is pushing and pulling them out of a spot, versus what is pulling them towards a spot.” 

She broke the piece into three sections. It started with half of the dancers carrying suitcases and one another, and the other half executing dynamic turns and floorwork. It was to convey the act of traveling, as if trying to catch a train. Mazarick described the second act as the “dream sequence of the dance.” She said that it is an abstract representation of the final destination. In the third section, the dancers carried flashlights that captured each other’s movements in the pitch blackness of the theater, projecting them on the wall. This was to create the feeling of “being caught” or “trapped” in the light, conveying Mazarick’s message: “What if the place that I was going to was not there anymore?”

Mazarick told the audience to come up with their own interpretation of this abstract piece, as opposed to telling them what to think. 

“The framework is about this idea of bodies traveling through space,” said Mazarick. “However, you perceive it as great and wonderful.”

Five other pieces accompanied Mazarick’s, each bringing a different level of creativity, fun and elegance. 

“WYP ‘What’s Your Playlist,’” delivered a fun jazz number with dancers dressed in navy blue streetwear. Smooth and fluid movements paired seamlessly with the soundtrack featuring “No Sleep” by Janet Jackson. This piece was choreographed by Sophiann Mahalia Moore, a Black dancer and actress who explores African identity and body positivity through her pieces.

The following piece, titled “Stupid Humans,” shifted the energy. The piece was an experimental hip-hop-funk fusion choreographed by professional street dancer John “Comix” Barella. His piece featured multiple segments, starting with selecting an audience member to join them on stage, to flips and tricks pulling cheers and laughter from the crowd. 

Bold and playful energy filled the theater for “Vogue Evolution.” Vogue-style dances choreographed by award-winning ballroom and heels dancer Rylee “Prodigy” Locker highlighted the history of vogue dancing in marginalized communities. 

“Timeless,” maintained that upbeat energy with a groovy hip-hop piece, choreographed by street dancer Ricky “Glytch” Evans. 

To conclude the night of creativity and vibrancy, “Beneath The Green,” was a moving, contemporary-ballet piece emphasizing nature and its synchronicity, choreographed by former Pennsylvania ballet soloist, Meredith Rainey.

The show closed with a roaring applause of acclamation from the audience as the dancers took a final bow. 

One audience member, sophomore psychology major Vyan Datt appreciated the variety of productions the students and choreographers put together, saying “It was a mixture. It was really funny, but it’s also like, really classy and talented. They’re all just so talented.”

Sophomore music major Tryphena Quain shared a similar feeling and added, “Each and every style was different and unique, but they all told a story, and I really enjoyed that.” 

Junior psychology major Ashlyn Corchado encouraged Rider students to come out and enjoy the performances she and her fellow dancers worked hard on to create a fun experience for attendees. 

“It’s so great to see everyone’s hard work pay off, everyone had so much fun on stage,” Corchado said. “There’s audience participation, so everyone gets to be involved! It’s really cool!”