Meet the Choreographer | Iris, Ballet 5:8 Trainee

On Thursday, October 6th at 5:30PM, Ballet 5:8’s Studio Company will present its second annual Student Produced Showcase, Joy in the Journey. For this production, members of the Studio Company are taking on all production roles by choreographing and performing in the pieces, marketing the show, lighting and costuming the works, acting as stage manager and stage hands, and carrying out front of house responsibilities.

Ballet 5:8 Trainee, Iris VanWieren, is one of the four student choreographers and will be premiering her piece, “Finding Passion”, in the showcase.

This will be Iris’s choreographic debut, and her innovative piece explores the relationship between contemporary dance and classical ballet in the individual artist. Her inspiration came from her personal experiences exploring movement. The representation of this idea will be dancer Lilianne Harding, as she will be dancing with a pointe shoe on one foot, representing classical ballet, and a nude ballet slipper on the other, representing contemporary dance. In her own words, Iris explains that this symbolizes “feeling like you have to choose, but then discovering you can do both and allow yourself to dance from the heart.”

Iris has enjoyed the journey of seeing her vision come to life. Her favorite part of the process has been collaborating with the three talented dancers in her piece, as they have all become a form of inspiration for her. Iris would like to give a special thanks to her sister, Ava Lee, who was always willing to come up with unique ideas and choreograph dances with her growing up.

Come see Iris’s work at the showcase on October 6th!

Written by Morgan Rice