The Walpole High School’s Dance Company has faced many challenges over the years; however, in their 2024-2025 season, students are proving their determination with their upcoming performance: “Tenacity.” For the first time, the company is fully student run after years of leadership changes and uncertainty about the future of the program. Despite the obstacles, Seniors Sophie Murray and Amelia Durso have taken charge to ensure that their final year is a success.
After the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the performances, Dance Co. spent their 2021-2022 season rebuilding under two directors and one assistant director. By the end of the following season, one director stepped down due to personal reasons and the other chose not to continue altogether, leaving the company in the hands of their assistant director. There was debate in the 2023-2024 season between the team and the new director about whether to perform a show entirely. Ultimately, the students performed under pressure in a last minute performance without much preparation.
By the beginning of the current season, the company found itself without a director once again. WHS principal Stephen Imbusch spread the word attempting to bring in a new advisor for the season. When no one stepped up, the mothers of the two seniors, Kate Murray and Lauren Durso, took it upon themselves to be the advisors of Dance Co. Both have a background in dance but allowed Sophie Murray and Amelia Durso to take complete creative control and run the company themselves.
“I knew the girls were capable of doing that so I let them take complete control,” Kate Murray said. “It was more managerial on my end but I gave them complete creative freedom.”
Without an official director, the responsibility of putting on a show fell onto Sophie Murray and Amelia Durso. The two created schedules, choreographed and staged six dances, selected costumes, created lighting and kept the company working together. Balancing leadership along with friendship proved to be one of the biggest challenges throughout it all.
“When you don’t have an adult authority figure directing the company, it can be hard to take on that role as a team member,” Sophie Murray said. “A really big challenge was being able to keep the relationship between friendship, being teammates and now being practically in charge.”
Despite the struggles, the team remained committed, especially for the seniors who wanted to finish off their four years.
“I knew that ending the company on such an unfinished note wouldn’t have done the company justice,” Amelia Durso said.
The company chose “Tenacity” as their show title because it reflects their journey, as the definition of tenacity is about determination and perseverance through difficult and uncertain times. Each dance represents a different emotion: joy, anxiety, frustration or confidence, reflecting the ups and downs of the past season. The performance will primarily feature modern and contemporary styles with elements of jazz and lyrical dance incorporated.
“We never do a piece where we just dance to dance, there is always a message or theme behind each number,” Sophie Murray said.
With all choreography nearly completed and costumes ordered well in advance, the team is confident that they are on track to deliver an outstanding performance.
While “Tenacity” marks a major success, the future of Dance Co. remains uncertain. With Sophie Murray and Amelia Durso graduating and no clear students to take the lead, Kate Murray and everyone involved fears the program may not continue next year.
“It makes me very sad because it’s a group of kids that love this and there isn’t a lot of representation in high schools typically,” Kate Murray said. “You kind of have these small groups of kids that are very invested and very talented. It lets the other students see that some kids may not play sports but they dance outside of school and they have a talent that you don’t know about.”
Currently, the focus is on celebrating the team’s accomplishments. The performances will take place on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22 in the WHS auditorium at 7 p.m.. Tickets are free and the company hopes for a full audience.
“Every year I go to the show and I always hear kids say ‘I didn’t know the school had this kind of talent and this is so amazing’ and when we have an audience there, they’re really blown away by it,” Kate Murray said. “We want to give [the team] a performance they won’t forget.”
After years of uncertainty, “Tenacity” is not just a dance performance, rather it’s proof of the team’s talent, perseverance, passion and determination to see the Dance Company through to the end.
