Hempfield High School, 200 Stanley Ave., Landisville, will host its 2023 Dance Theatre performances on Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29, at 7 p.m. An additional matinee show will be held on Sunday, April 30, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets will be available to purchase at the box office, which will open one hour before each performance, and are currently available online at http://www.hempfieldsd.org/tickets. On Thursday, April 27, at 7 p.m. a free preview of the show will be offered to all senior citizens who are residents of Hempfield School District.

Every year, Hempfield High School's Dance Theatre selects a theme for its performance as a way to tell a story through the art of dance. The theme of this year's show, "Timewarp," revolves around the general concept of time, from the ordinary ways that everyone experiences the passage of time to the greater concept of impermanence. "We wanted to explore the concept of savoring every moment and focusing on the time that you have, as well as what you leave behind when your time is done," said Devon Groff, the show's director.

In the first act, the show will incorporate the concept of time travel as the performers visit different time periods. By transforming the stage into a time machine, Groff said, the cast will take the audience to the past to visit cavemen as well as the distant future.

In the show's second act, it will explore a day in the life of two average people and the ordinary role that time plays in it. To conclude the second act, the show will emphasize the importance of the limited amount of time everyone has in their lives. "What's important is all of the lives you've touched and the relationships you've made," Groff added.

Hempfield High School's Dance Theatre began its preparation for the show with auditions in January, just after students returned from the holiday break. Rehearsals began immediately, with some members of the cast staying after school for multiple hours each day of the week. The cast this year comprises over 90 students, a third of whom are freshmen. "I'm excited people want to get involved," Groff said. "The fact we almost doubled our number of cast members this year is encouraging."

Last year, the show's theme focused on rain as a way to convey the concept of rebirth and starting anew. Due to restrictions after the COVID-19 pandemic, the school previously had to combine its musical and Dance Theatre performances, making last year the first show that the program was able to return to normal.

"Dance Theatre is such a special thing in the Hempfield community. Many of our dancers have never taken lessons, but they can all feel the music and translate it into something special," Groff said. "It's something for both students and the audience to be a part of something special and experience the world of dance."