National and Regional High School Dance Festival

Wheeling Orchesis has the distinction of being the only public, non-magnet school in the country selected for performance in four consecutive festivals. In March of 2008, Wheeling Orchesis was selected to perform (out of 165 entries from the US, Canada and Australia) at the closing night gala concert for the National High School Dance Festival in Philadelphia. March of 2010 dancers performed in the Student Choreography Showcase and Showcase Concert in Miami.  March 2012 Orchesis was again selected for the closing night Gala concert in Philadelphia and in 2014 Orchesis performed for the Gala and Showcase concert.   In 2017 and 2019 Wheeling Orchesis was chosen to perform at the Regional HS Dance Festival in Madison.

Dance Chicago

Orchesis members performed for 17 years in Dance Chicago at the Atheanaeum Theatre in a variety of concerts including: New Moves, Best of New Dances, Future Stars, Dance Slam, Choreographer’s Showcase, ValenTEEN, Dances for my Valentine, Dance for Kids Too! and Best of New Moves. We are a founding school for Dance Chicago’s Dance Links program.

Featured in Publications

Orchesis has been featured in the Winter 1997, December 2007, and March 2008 issues of Dance Spirit, a national publication. They have also appeared in Dance Magazine (November 1998), Dance Teacher (February 1999, November 2003, November 2007, September 2009), The Chicago Tribune, The Daily Herald and the Pioneer Press.

Guest Artist Projects

Past choreographers and guest artists have included *David Acevedo, Valerie Alpert, Christine Baltes (CA) Bril Barrett, Nijier Barrett, Masahnko Banda (Malawi), Scott Bartel, *Tanya Bland,  Joshua Blake Carter, Monterez Buckley, *Ben Burke, *Katie Calandra-Kritek, *Brittany Cederberg, Frank Chavez, Margie Cole, *DJ Corchin, *Dawn Corrado, Asiminas Chremos, Agnotti Cowie, Alicia Curtea, Brandon DiCriscio, Crystal Ellis- Abdullah, Tiffany Flame, Jennifer Foss, Heather Fraelick, Jay Franke, * Rachael Fromkin, *Carolyn Gaffke, Tommye Giacchino, Elijah Gibson, Maria Gitana, Mark Gomez, Laurie Goux,  Tim Heck, Darryl Howard, Mari Jo Irbe, Calvin Jarell,  Katy Kempen, Leo Keegan (CA), * Jessica Kovarik, Yael Leviton Saban, Corey Leizer, Heidi Malnar, Marc Marcaranes,  Harrison McEldowney, Beth McNeil, Elizabeth Medana (Canada), Lizzie Mackenzie,  Marc Marcaranas, *Kelly Maryanski, Nashley Mattocks,  *Andrea Novak, Karen McShane-Hellenbrand (WI), Julee Mertz, Taylor Mitchell, *Angela Mollison – Strickland, Corey Nagel, Eddy Ocampo, Amy Osgood, Amaniyea Payne, *Casey Pennell, *Robert Peralex, Miguel Perez, Sarah Petronio, Jeremey Plummer, Phil Porter (CA), Dionna PridGeon, Nick Pupillo, Kirby Reed, *Jerry Rivera, Wilfredo Rivera,* Anna Sapozhnikov, Tony Savino, Jane Siarny, Johnnie Smith (CA), Richard Smith, Sarita Smith-Childs,  *Tanya Steinberg, Amanda Tanguay, Melissa Thodos, Chris Walker (WI/Jamaica), Cynthia Winton-Henry (CA), Anne Zivolich. (*denotes WHS Orchesis alumni)