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INSIDE THE PROCESS
A CHOREOGRAPHIC RESIDNECY

This four week residency introduces high school students to the choreographic process and the foundational skills needed to create and shape dance for the stage. Students learn how to generate movement, develop intent, make creative decisions, and work collaboratively as they build original group pieces.

Over the course of the residency, students explore ensemble staging, spatial design, and the practical considerations that go into producing dance, including space, costuming, and music choices. Sessions meet three times per week for sixty to seventy five minutes, giving students consistent time to rehearse, experiment, and refine their ideas.

The residency concludes with an informal in school sharing where students present works in progress for peers and faculty. Select pieces may be invited to continue developing their choreography with guidance from SMCDT teaching artists. These works will then be featured in the Dance Hunger Action 2026 Youth Concert, offering students a meaningful opportunity to present their choreography in a professional performance setting.

By connecting classwork to real world experience, this residency encourages students to step into the role of creator. It builds leadership, confidence, and artistic agency, while offering a clear pathway from the classroom to the broader Houston arts community.
An Ensemble-Based Experience for High School Students

What Makes This Program Unique
Inside the Process invites students to step into the role of choreographer and producer. Instead of learning movement set by an instructor, students create their own ensemble works and learn what it means to bring a dance from idea to stage. The residency focuses on group works for eight or more dancers, giving students the chance to practice leadership, explore staging, and think about the bigger picture of producing dance.

Residency Structure
The program runs for four weeks, with three sessions each week lasting about 60 to 75 minutes. Over twelve sessions, students move through every stage of the choreographic process: generating movement, shaping it into group material, refining intent, and preparing for performance. The emphasis on ensemble choreography pushes students to consider spacing, formations, timing, and how to guide a larger cast of dancers.

Culminating Performance
At the end of the residency, students share their ensemble work in an informal in school showing for peers and faculty. From this presentation, select pieces may continue to grow with mentorship from SMCDT teaching artists and will be featured in the Dance Hunger Action 2026 Youth Concert. This gives students the chance to see their work in a professional context and gain real world producing experience.

Benefits for Students

Experience leading and collaborating within an ensemble
A stronger artistic voice and confidence in creative choices
Problem solving skills through shaping and editing choreography
Growth in empathy, resilience, and teamwork
A direct connection between classroom learning and a professional performance opportunity

Academic Connections
Inside the Process supports high school dance TEKS with a focus on choreography, performance, and production. Students also strengthen reflection, communication, and collaboration skills that connect to English Language Arts and Social and Emotional Learning.

Benefits for Teachers and Schools
This residency complements existing technique classes by focusing on choreography and production. It is aligned with fine arts TEKS and gives teachers the opportunity to see new strategies they can bring into their own classrooms. The culminating showing also enriches campus culture by celebrating student creativity and highlighting the importance of the arts.

Skills Students Build

Ensemble direction
Creative problem solving
Critical thinking and editing
Collaboration and communication
Producing and staging for performance

Inside the Process turns the classroom into both a rehearsal space and a creative laboratory. Students learn what it means to move from dancer to choreographer, gaining the confidence and experience to carry their ideas from first spark to performance.

Interested in creating movement in your school community?

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