Dance moms if it slayed.

Barnard Theater Department’s performance of Dance Nation was a triple threat: it had everything from dancing, to heartfelt monologues, to… actors screaming in your ears about their genitals? 

Walking into the Minor Latham Playhouse, the audience was immediately struck by graffiti on the walls and an ornate string of shining streamers acting as the stage curtain, hiding what would soon be revealed to be a dance studio and locker room. Designed by Portia Elmer, the set was very much reminiscent of a pre-teen dance studio, with customized name tags on each of the girls’ lockers and written wall art with phrases such as “Don’t drink water fish have sex in it” drawn across the floor-length dance mirrors. On the right side of the stage hung photos of young girls in the shape of a pyramid… feel familiar to any Dance Moms fans? 

The lights then came up on our main group of dancers performing a routine in glittering naval and sailor gear, with the most intense facial expressions anyone has ever seen in their life. It is then that the audience is introduced to the overarching story of the show: a young girl, Zuzu, is under immense pressure from her mother to do well in her dance class taught by Dance Teacher Pat. They are all preparing to win multiple different pre-teen dance competitions to make it to nationals in the best place in the world—Tampa Bay, Florida. Her teammates Ashlee, Amina, Maeve, Sofia, Connie, and Luke are all competing with her for the role of Gandhi in the group dance, going almost feral for the idea of getting a solo from their beloved teacher. As the show goes on, chaos ensues and the girls (and Luke) discuss issues such as getting their first period, sexual desires, and generally all the woes of being thirteen years old while also having immense pressure put on them to be the best dancers they can be.

Some standout performances to note are John Howley (CC ‘25) as Dance Teacher Pat, who perfectly encapsulated the creepy/intense dance teacher vibe that somehow causes young girls to froth at the mouth for their approval. He had incredible comedic timing as the so-called “villain” of the show and created a character that so many of us who grew up in the arts have met in our younger lives. 

On the complete opposite hand, Nicholas Meyers (CC ‘24) as Luke, the only boy on the team had the audience “aww”ing over his sweet gestures towards the girls. Juxtaposing his character were Sofia DeSanto (BC ‘24) as Sofia and Mimi Wu (CC ‘26) as Ashlee, arguably the most “inappropriately-minded” characters in the show who speak openly about masturbation and their growing sexualities, and give well-intentioned (though very misguided) advice to the other girls on such topics. They have some of the most comedic moments in the show as a duo—my personal favorite being their hexxing of a black coffee to make it “magical.” All the characters in the show were extremely realistic versions of 13-year-olds, showing those who are growing up at a faster pace as well as those who are perhaps not doing so. 

It is important to note that this show acted as Pimprenelle Behaeghel’s (BC ‘24) senior thesis in performance, advised by Gisela Cardenas. Behaeghel played protagonist Zuzu, giving an incredibly heartfelt monologue at the end of Act I and constantly putting her heart and soul into her performance. They acted as the seething, resentful, creature in Zuzu’s mind at times while at others times, they transformed back into the traumatized young girl on the outside. Behaeghel’s performance grew throughout the show, starting as what could be expected from a college-level performance but growing into something extraordinary as they took their character to another level. Zuzu goes through her own journey throughout the play, coming into her own as a young girl figuring out if her passion for dance is worth the mental strife. Behaeghel’s shyness in the character at the beginning of the show grew into self-confidence in the character’s decision, a feat that cannot be done by many. Bravo all around to her and her thesis advisor for working so hard on this production.

This production was nothing short of entertaining, especially when it came to reflecting on my own youth and how relatable these characters would have been to my middle school self. The lighting and sound design were exceptionally good in tense moments of the show, and really tied together how it feels to live in a middle school brain. All in all, Dance Nation is definitely a Barnard Theater production to be remembered… and not just because an actor screamed the word “pussy” in my ear at the end of the performance.

This article has been edited to correct a performer’s school affiliation.

Dance Nation via Barnard Theatre Department.