The lights slowly dimmed as the Community School of Davidson (CSD) dancers, backstage, got ready to perform. The first group anxiously moved into position. The crowd silenced their phones and hushed as they waited for the performance to begin. All eyes focused on the stage.
Then, suddenly, the music began.
Winter Worx wasn’t always Winter Worx. Originally, it was a “senior showcase” created in order to show off the student dancers’ abilities.
Beth Knight, 8th-grade art teacher, remembers when the senior showcase changed to Winter Worx.
“In 2014, they started doing senior sharing in the winter,” Beth Knight said. “After Covid, Winter Worx started.”
Winter Worx has grown in popularity over the years. The dance showcase allows for individual solos, group collaboration, and duets. Memories are an offshoot of hard work and practice.
Winter Worx, known to be mostly student-driven, was a hit again this year. Busy academic schedules and extracurriculars can be a challenge for the dancers, but senior Abbey Cain (‘26) appreciates the flexibility and independence that were provided to the dancers.
“We had a lot of student choreography in Winter Worx, which was different from Arts Night, and a lot of that student choreography was just [practiced] during learning labs or after school, whenever we had time,” Abbey Cain said.
As a senior, Cain was a little emotional at this dance, since this was her last time performing at Winter Worx, but valued being able to take a mentorship role.
“It was kind of sad, but I think it meant a lot more than the other ones,” Cain said. “I’ve met a lot more freshmen this year, just through dance companies and different dance classes. So that was fun to just kind of mentor them through Winter Worx.”
Winter Worx, the annual dance showcase, is always a memorable moment. For Knight, the “overall real-life superhero” behind the scenes, Winter Worx is special when she sees the students she knows performing on stage.
“I prefer watching it now when it’s just student work, and I know all the people in it,” Knight said.
