Sunday, April 12th, the Saint Anselm College Dance Team, Dance Club, and Irish Society came together for a moving showcase. The event featured a variety of dance styles, including hip hop, contemporary, and traditional Irish dance. Each performance offered a unique story, but one that stood out for its emotional depth and powerful message was a contemporary routine choreographed by sophomore Dance Team member, Madysin Boyce.

Madysin’s piece was set to the beautiful song Infinity by One Hundred Years. The performance featured 15 dancers dressed in oversized button-down shirts. But these weren’t just any costumes, they were canvases, each shirt scrawled with insults, negative labels, and the kinds of cruel words many people unfortunately hear throughout their lives. As the dancers moved across the stage, shedding these metaphorical and literal burdens, a message began to emerge. Underneath each shirt was a letter printed on the back of the dancers’ undershirts. By the end of the routine, the dancers formed a line, proudly displaying the phrase: “We are Beautiful.”

In a post-performance interview, Madysin shared the heart and soul behind her choreography. “I was inspired by the mental health crisis we’re seeing right now,” she said. “I wanted to create a piece that represented breaking free of the things people say about you.”

For Madysin, dance has always been more than movement, it’s a whole part of her life. This routine was her way of speaking not just for herself, but for anyone who’s ever felt crushed under the weight of society’s expectations. 

“I knew I wanted to make something meaningful,” she said. “I wanted this dance to tell a story, to mean something real to the people watching it and to the people performing it.”

The creative process for the routine began all the way back in December. “It started with listening to the song—over and over and over again,” Madysin said. “At first, I just hear the music. Then I start to see the movements in my head.”

“I just let the music take over and let my body move the way it wants to. Eventually, the pieces come together and form the routine.”

For Madysin, the Saint Anselm Dance Team isn’t just a group of performers, it’s a second family.

“It’s a huge commitment,” she admitted when discussing her participation in the dance team. “ But it’s so worth it. We’ve built something really special here.”

She continued, “If you’re thinking of joining, take the risk. We’re such a big family. Everyone’s got your back, no matter what. I honestly couldn’t imagine being here without them.”

The Dance Showcase on April 12th was a celebration of talent, creativity, and community, but it was also something deeper.