DANCE NATION

DIRECTED BY | Tea Alagic

WRITTEN BY | Clare Barron

SCENIC DESIGN | Portia Elmer

LIGHTING DESIGN | Betsy Chester

COSTUME DESIGN | Anya Klepikov

SOUND DESIGN | Daniel Baker

CHOREOGRAPHER | Constantine Baecher

INTIMACY CHOREOGRAPHER | Alison Novelli

STAGE MANAGEMENT | Angel Qiao, Norah Vlas

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR | Grace Batesi

Photo Credit Slaven Vlasic

Produced by: Barnard Theatre Department

“Mimi Wu, CC ’26, gives a jaw-dropping monologue as the character Ashlee that begins with a confident assessment of her own physical appearance and escalates to the point of her screaming “You are all my motherfucking bitch” to an audience shocked into submissive attention. As Ashlee’s lust for power mounts throughout the monologue, the lighting turns a creepy shade of yellow, Ashlee’s own shadow rising up behind her. The speech encapsulates a general feeling among the dancers: Whatever their life consists of now, it isn’t enough. They are hungry for something both inside themselves and out in the world that they can’t quite access yet.” - Ana Carpenter, Columbia Spectator

“Some standout performances to note are…Sofia DeSanto (BC ‘24) as Sofia and Mimi Wu (CC ‘26) as Ashlee, arguably the most “inappropriately-minded” characters in the show who speak openly about masturbation and their growing sexualities, and give well-intentioned (though very misguided) advice to the other girls on such topics. They have some of the most comedic moments in the show as a duo—my personal favorite being their hexxing of a black coffee to make it “magical.” All the characters in the show were extremely realistic versions of 13-year-olds, showing those who are growing up at a faster pace as well as those who are perhaps not doing so.” - Rory Collins, BWOG