News Post

The St. Joseph’s Academy dance department presented its annual fall concert on December 11 in two performances at the LSU Union Theatre. The show, Money Makes the World Go Round, was choreographed by dance instructors Jade McCune, Alyse Carriere and Olivia Hamilton.

Each performance began with a pre-show number by the Red Steppers and senior solos. Then, students in Dance I-V performed dances with monetary references in their titles, including Taylor Swift’s Gold Rush, Madonna’s Material Girl, Teddy Swims’ Broke and Jennifer Lopez’s Love Don’t Cost a Thing, among others. 

Carriere said the evening was a rousing success. “I woke up with such a proud and happy heart the morning after the fall show,” she said. “My favorite part is hearing the highlights from my students in class afterwards. They can’t stop smiling, and that feeling is well deserved. Thank you to each of the students for working so hard to put together such a memorable show.”

Hamilton said her first SJA fall dance show was a wonderful experience. “It was an amazing night and such a great way to finish our semester,” she said. “Seeing my students shine on that stage made me flash back to our first few classes together and realize how much they have grown this semester. I am just so proud of them. I was extra pleased to see the outstanding support the SJA community provided for our dancers and program in the audience. I am so thankful to be a part of something that is so positive, fun and educational for our students.”

Laney LeBoeuf performed her senior solo to Recognize Me by Shoshana Bean. “The most enjoyable thing about the show was the support from other students,” she said. “It feels incredible to hear your classmates and friends cheering for you while doing what you love most. Dancing in the show for the last time was so rewarding but made me tear up during our bows. For the past four years, the dance show has been one of my favorite parts of SJA. It’s years of memories and new friendships I’ll never forget. I’ve made a family through this program. Even being a part of Red Steppers, it’s so fun to watch people dance for the first time and feel the same love we do. The dance program is truly something special.” 

Alysse Fee said the concert was a joy-filled and memorable night. “Doing my solo on stage was the most fun experience of my entire life," she said. "Being able to also choreograph some of our Red Stepper dance parts was so fulfilling. I got to experience my choreography being loved on stage, which truly made my hard work these past years seem worth it. I am so sad about leaving the program next year because it has brought me so many laughs, joy, life lessons and more. I have learned what it means to be a part of an incredible team, share that bond and do what I love every day at such a great school. The reason I came to SJA from Dunham was for dance, and it has been everything I expected and more. I have grown so much and cannot wait to dance in the future with the skills I learned in this program.”

Emma Webre performed her senior solo to James Blake’s Atmosphere. “What I most enjoyed was the excitement of getting to do what I love with the most supportive classmates and coaches around me,” she said. “It is very rewarding to see all of our hard work come to fruition when we performed our dances for friends and family. Dancing in my final dance show was very bittersweet. I am sad to see it come to an end, but I am incredibly grateful for the growth I have had as a dancer and person due to my coaches pushing me to be the very best I can be. Through the dance program at SJA, I have made so many new friends and gained so many valuable lessons that apply to all areas of my life.”

Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director