Lucy Gellman | June 20th, 2024
Eighth grade students in “Imagine Me,” choreographed by teacher Nikki Claxtom.
Fifth grade students in “When You Believe,” choreographed by teacher Hannah Healey. Lucy Gellman Photos.
The soft piano and percussion of Kirk Franklin’s “Imagine Me” echoed through the auditorium, bringing the audience to a hush. On stage, dancers stood frozen for a moment, sheafs of light falling over them. At the front of the group, Jahzaria Whyte crossed her arms over her chest, bowing her head as if she was in prayer.
Behind her, a slideshow began to play. There were pictures of parents smiling on porches and in doorways, their arms outstretched to their children. There were older siblings and grown dancers, soaring through the air. When it got to her mom, the late Latoya Glasper, Jahzaria could feel her presence in every step she took.
It was just one of the ways students embraced their identity through dance last week, as Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School (BRAMS) held an encore performance of its annual dance showcase for students and staff. For over an hour, fifth through eighth graders taught a masterclass in empathy, guiding the audience through all the grief, fear, experiment, trial and celebration that a single school year can hold.
A time for celebration: Students in “Brand New Day” and “Celebration,” both choreographed by Nikki Claxton.
For the first time in the school’s history, alumni also returned for and choreographed works in the showcase. The performance also marked the dedication of the auditorium in honor of Sylvia “Ms. Pett” Pettricione, a veteran educator in the New Haven Public Schools system who worked at BRAMS for 23 years. Arts Director Tavares Bussey now fills her shoes.
“The growth we see, it always amazes me,” said Nikki Claxton, who teaches dance alongside Hannah Healey. She pressed a hand to her heart. “They put in so much work.”
As the showcase began last Tuesday, it was Healey’s sixth and seventh grade dancers who set the tone. To ear-shattering cheers, Michael Jackson’s “Heal The World” flowed through the speakers as dancers knelt on the stage. For a moment, their shoulders and foreheads kissed the cool wood, the audience waiting for their first move.