Every spring, the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts holds the Spring Dance Symposium for students to highlight their skills for their friends and family in the audience. This year, on April 8, 2026, 32 performances were done by students in the dance minor program.
Out of the 32 performances, all but 8 were solos, while the rest were groups or duets. Each dance was unique, and there was a wide range of dance styles shown by the students from jazz to ballet.
The final dance is always a group dance of all classes and dancers, while there are separate performances for the dance classes on top of individuals. Aside from those performances there are also special dances for groups like the “Stop” performance.
“Stop” was choreographed by Dr. Elizabeth Smith and featured all Pittsburg State University dance classes. It had a large group in the front while a screen played various social media and YouTube clips behind them. As the larger group danced in front of the stage, there were people walking behind them in time to the song. However, as time went through the performance, more people sat down in front of the screen to sit and stare until there was no one left dancing.
Gauge Garner is a sophomore graphic communications major with an emphasis in graphic design and a minor in art. He had a few friends performing, so he had come to support them. “Both my friends did a duet called ‘For What It’s Worth’ and then the other one I loved was ‘Stop.’ That was a good one,” Garner said.
A world-wide performer, graduate student, and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Psychology & Counseling, Shreyashee Dutta, did two performances that night. One was a solo, and the other a duet with a now Pittsburg State University Alumni. “The solo dance was a semi classical dance form… inspired by the audience in my previous dance show who wanted more footwork with ‘Ghungru,’ the bells, so chose I something more rhythmic.” In a flip to her normal styles, she did a blended style for her duet. “The duet blended Western Classical ballet with the Indian Classical traditions of Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Odissi, all set to Rishab Sharma’s evocative composition Chanakya.”
Emily Burke is a senior this year, and this was her last performance after studying Early Childhood Unified education and minoring in dance. “It is bittersweet knowing that it’s my last show before I graduate, but that also makes it really special, and I feel like I did my best,” Burke said. She did a dance to a compilation of Beyonce to the same name. “I always think I feel nervous before going on stage, but really, I’m so myself when I’m on stage… I’m the most confident that I ever am,” Burke said.
Many performers invite their friends and family to attend the symposium, and Jennifer Comer is one of those parents. She came to watch her daughter Jessica Comer, a sophomore studying pre-physical therapy and minoring in dance, perform on stage. Jessica Comer is part of the dance team, so her mom usually sees her performing on the football field, not on stage. Comer said, “It was fun to see all the dancers that we were used to watching in a different aspect from the football field and getting to see their more competitive side on stage.” Jennifer Comer has watched her daughter from when she started dancing at two years old until now when she is 20 years old in college. Seeing this transformation of her daughter, “It’s fun to watch her dance and choreograph her own dances.” She encourages every dancer “just get out there and do the best you can.”