When a dancer steps into the studio, they are exactly that — a dancer. All of the other aspects of their lives take a step back and their dancing identity takes center stage.

With a theme of identity for this fall’s dance concert, the advance and intermediate dance classes will be showing the audience how complex identity can be through dance.

“Footprints,” the fall dance concert, will be Dec. 3, and 4 in the Alan Harvey Theater at 7:00 p.m.. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors and $8 for adults.

The theme was chosen after dance instructor and artistic director Amy Moorhead found empty photograph frames in the lighting booth while preparing for last spring’s show.

“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t a dance using frames be interesting?’” Moorhead said. “It sparked the idea for identity.”

Connecting to the show’s focus on identity, all of the pieces in the showcase will be student-choreographed, and all music used will be non-lyrical.

“Choreographing has been really fun. Freshman year, choreographing was really hard for me but this year it’s really nice to know that I can find the moves that come together,” senior Stella Thorsen said. “It is fun to see it all coming together from beginning to end.”

Students have been in rehearsal since the beginning of the school year perfecting this performance.

It takes time for a piece to truly feel ready for performance. Getting the choreography, costumes, lighting and music just right is a lot of work, senior Olivia Arrabit said.

When the time of performance comes, reactions to the feelings of performing live can be rewarding but challenging.

“There is a rush you get before a performance in front of an audience. It is why I love to perform,” DeBare said. “After the rush, I settle into a grove and focus on giving the best performance that I spent so much time practicing for.”

Although dance is time consuming, and difficult work, students still manage to find motivation to continue performing.

“There are middle school kids that are watching us, and elementary school kids that are watching us,” Arrabit said.  “I think that this program is really important because there are people who do love dance and want to be a part of the dance program regardless of what it’s like.”