On the nights of Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, 2026, Synchrony II, a dance-oriented student organization, hosted their final performance of the academic year in the Great Hall. The event consisted of eleven total dances and featured over 30 total student performers. Each term, Synchrony II runs a student-choreographed recital providing an opportunity for dancers of all levels to showcase their skills.
Historically, Synchrony II has performed in Sayles, providing a unique atmosphere with an increased capacity for audience members. Since the renovation of the space, which concluded in 2024, it is no longer considered an available venue for the termly performances, which have now shifted to Great Hall. This smaller site poses a unique challenge,limiting choreography and seating, and many students must sit on the floor or stand once seats are taken.
In spite of this challenge, Synchrony persists as Carleton’s longest running dance group. One of the three Synchrony directors, Elsie Newburg ’27, said “This term we had the biggest Synchrony show in our digitally recorded history — with the most number of dances, new choreographers and dancers!”
Newburg joined Synchrony as a dancer in her first year at Carleton and began choreographing the following year, ultimately becoming a director during her junior year. “I totally fell in love with the welcoming environment and a fun new way to express myself,” she said.
Director Rahim Hamid ’26 had a similar experience: they have been a part of Synchrony II since their first year at Carleton and have participated in at least one dance every term. For this performance, they choreographed “Mandance,” a number created for masculine-identifying students. Reflecting on the dance, they said, “My perception of it is that Mandance presents masculinity and sexuality as something that can exist without being domineering or violent, but as something that can be silly and fun.”
Hamid and Newburg both highlighted the no-experience-required nature of Synchrony, making the group open to anyone who wants to participate. Hamid explained, “Synchrony, to me, is a great entry point into dance at Carleton. We don’t hold any auditions and practices tend to be very low commitment from what I have experienced.” Defne Arat ’27, who co-directed Synchrony alongside Hamid and Newburg, also experienced this culture of inclusivity. She explained, “I have never danced before coming to Carleton, but it became such a big part of my life here, and how beginner-friendly and accepting Synchrony had been had a big role in that.”
Dance also provides students with an avenue for physical activity and self-exploration. Newburg explained, “Synchrony provides students with a way to move their body and express themselves in new ways.”
Considering the sexually suggestive nature of many of the performances, Arat added, “I think Synchrony enables people to be freaky without judgement.”
Musically, Hamid said that Synchrony tends to focus on contemporary and pop music, although they note that there are no restrictions except that the music cannot have been choreographed in the past four years. According to Hamid, “You get a mix of popular new music and some crowd-pleasers along with some strange deep cuts dependent on the choreographer.”
As directors, Arat, Hamid and Newburg take the lead in planning the overall show and performances each term. Newburg explained that they focus on recruitment of choreographers, editing music and creating playlists and deciding on the show’s general theme. They manage the logistics as well, such as booking Great Hall and coordinating light and sound systems. She added, “Our main job is acting as a cheerleader and support system for all the choreographers and dancers, helping to answer questions and share the greatness that is Synchrony!”
Reflecting on their journey through Synchrony as a whole, Hamid said, “It’s been an amazing experience both as a dancer and a choreographer working with a team of people with super different dance backgrounds.” They think of the experience as “one of the sites of a Carleton magic where we put our collective energies into an absurd set of song choices and movements for the benefit of an audience of our peers.”
Arat echoed that sentiment, sharing, “We spend our days and nights studying and taking ourselves seriously and being professional and whatnot, and this is a great channel to let it all go and shake ass in the middle of the campus.”
