The curtain breathes a sigh. The audience holds its breath. The stage is bathed in light. The audience turns into a sea of black waves. Dance showcase. No dancers on stage.

Suddenly, a video projection appears on the back wall and the plot unfolds. As dance students recount what identity means to them, the topic of the dance show is made clear. This video element was just one non-conventional aspect of the fall dance showcase that took place on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 at the Alan Harvey Theater.

Dance teacher Amy Moorhead said that the idea for the theme of the showcase, titled “Footprints: Dances About Identity,” originated from last spring’s dance showcase, when she found empty picture frames in the tech room.

“I thought that a dance using picture frames, empty frames, would be interesting,” Moorhead said. “That reminded me of the idea of how we frame ourselves, and how we present ourselves differently in different situations.”

The piece utilizing picture frames that she planned to choreograph never lived to see the stage because so many students were eager to choreograph their own pieces, Moorhead said.

The evolution of the showcase began in September, when dancers were introduced to the theme and given free reign to identify what identity meant to them, Moorhead said.

“Identity as a theme for a dance concert and choreography is hard to grapple with initially,” Moorhead said.

Students surmounted this challenge by exploring other dances inspired by a similar theme on YouTube, then using the inspiration to choreograph their own solos, duets and class pieces, Moorhead said. On Thursday and Friday, audiences had the pleasure of viewing pieces deemed by the students and her as performance ready.

“[The dancers] expressed [the theme] nicely with the dances,” audience member senior Evan Hanke said. “They were all unique and individual.”

Dancer sophomore Vivian Anabel Eme said the duet she choreographed and performed in, titled “The Puppeteer,” had been a vision in her mind since the age of 12, but because she does not pursue dance outside of school, she did not have an outlet for it.

Coincidentally, Hanke said that his favorite piece of the whole showcase was the duet Anabel Eme choreographed.

Other creative explorations of identity that enraptured audiences, included performances such as: the duet “Evolution,” a jazzy exploration of the evolution of man; “Four’s Company,” a hip quartet that turned into a trio due to an injury; “From The Start to Now,” a poignant solo starring senior Liam Carrington and “Nostalgia,” a group production with a surprising flourish at the end entailing umbrellas and raincoats.

Moorhead said that a parent had sent her a text commending the concept and execution of the show.

Anabel Eme said that throughout the process she not only enjoyed the thrill of dancing, but also loved how supportive everyone in the class was.

“I was scared of the upperclassmen at first because they were so much better than me, but it turned out that everyone was super nice,” said Anabel Eme, who then rushed off to get make-up assistance from a senior.

Moorhead said that overall she was thrilled with the performance. She also said that this fall dance concert had more student choreographed work than any other dance production from the past.

“Seeing people passionate about something on stage in front of everyone, it’s pretty cool,” Hanke said.