We Also Bloom: Springdances 2026 at UWM

From swinging sandbags to haunting vocals about Milwaukee’s past, the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s Springdances 2026 explored persistence, identity and growth through five original performances.

“One of the unique things about this concert is that all five choreographers in the concert are either UWM alums or currently students at UWM,” artistic director and choreographer Daniel Burkholder said. 

Burkholder has been the Chair of the Dance department at UW-Milwaukee for 10 years. Previously he served as the Director of the Master of Fine Arts in Dance program for five years. Prior to working at UW-Milwaukee, Burkholder completed his MFA there.

The Springdances 2026 concert reflects on challenges of the past, present and future.

“Raze Down, Raise Up:” Choreographed by Christal Wagner

A group of dancers begin standing in a semi-circle shape in the back right corner of the stage; just as the audience expects them to start dancing, they break out into live vocals. Immediately following the a cappella-like performance, a male dancer comes out onto stage and gives a monologue.

“[‘Raze Down, Raise Up’] has that 1950s feel to it,” Freshman dancer Maria Shanklin said. “It’s about industrialism and the ways in which it affected numerous demographics, and I think it is extremely cool to watch because the venue’s background is the city of Milwaukee.”

In her choreographer’s notes, Wagner specifies that this piece was inspired by Milwaukee’s proposal of 16 expressway segments in the 1950s. The construction of these roads largely impacted lower income and minority households — nearly 20,000 homes and businesses in Milwaukee were razed as a consequence of urban renewal and highway construction. This piece is Wagner’s interpretation of how those affected by this event persisted.

“Gosei:” Choreographed by Tiffany Tomiko Kadani

“Gosei” is about the Japanese internment camps that occurred after World War II. The piece highlights the generational trauma Japanese Americans endured following the internment. As the piece progresses, viewers can visualize that silence breaking through dancers movement becoming larger and more intense.

Kadani drew inspiration from her ancestors’ historical experience and from the current political climate surrounding ICE in America.

“This piece is about the internment and processing what happened, but it’s also about faith,” Kadani said. “Faith that they can move forward and be that change.” 

Kadani herself is a Yonsei, a fourth generation Japanese American. The namesake of her piece is in reference to fifth generation Japanese Americans; she ultimately decided on the title “Gosei,” because she considers her dancers to be the next generation of change and growth.

Alongside her role as one of the choreographers for the concert, Kadani is the first year representative, meaning her piece is composed entirely of all the first-year dance majors. 

“Drift:” Choreographed by Burkholder

This piece is inspired by the Driftless Area in Wisconsin. In order to communicate the inspiration with viewers, the piece utilized unconventional ways to communicate — including projections across the floor, a large fishing net prop and words from the performers. These extra measures stood out to audience members. 

“I really liked how the dancers had their own voices included in the music for the piece,” audience member Tierney Nevermann said. 

In his creative process, Burkholder imagined the glaciers approaching, asking “What do you take with you?” and “What do you leave behind?” The piece encourages the dancers to reflect on what they bring with them and what they leave behind, especially as they transition into adulthood.

“The idea of persistence and dedication to continual growth is critical to the piece,” Burkholder said. 

“The Push:” Choreographed by Dan Schuchart

Intermission has come to a close, a sandbag hangs from the ceiling in the middle of the stage and a curtain on the side is pulled back to reveal a set of drums. Two dancers stand on stage waiting casually for the live drumming to start. 

In his choreographer notes, Schuchart writes, “The Push emerges from questions of when to join and when to leave; what it means to stand for something, against something or alongside others. It considers the vulnerability of stepping forward and the shifting pressures that accompany those choices.”

The sandbag acts as a visualization of these ideas, and it physically adds a new level of difficulty to the piece. 

“[‘The Push’] is very visually exciting because there’s a sandbag that’s swinging around the stage like a pendulum or a wrecking ball,” freshman dancer Melissa Henningsen said. “So, there is a visible element of danger to it and it’s so exciting to watch how they were able to make that work.”

“Gira + Sol:” Choreographed by Karlies Kelley

This piece was inspired by a quote from Miguel Gutiérrez: “Who has the right not to explain themselves? The people who don’t have to. The ones whose subjectivities have been naturalized.”

The piece resists the expectation that marginalized people must explain their suffering or justify their joy. This piece aims to create a space where existence itself is enough. 

The name of the piece is derived from the Spanish word for sunflower, girasol. This is because the piece turns to light, the same way a sunflower does. The piece stands tall, expands beyond border and continues to grow through ideal circumstances, as well as difficult ones.

Kelley was the guest choreographer for this event; she herself was a graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts program and MFA program at UW-Milwaukee.

Importance of Live Dance Performance

Recently, the relevance of dance performance has been brought up in mainstream media. Dancers refute this idea as many, such as Burkholder, believe live performances allow people to be fully human and engaged in thinking. 

“Live performances are so different because you can feel the energy of a body, and that is something I think has been beaten out of us in society,” Kandani said.

Live dance performances create an emotional connection that cannot be replicated by recordings. In an increasingly digital world, Springdances reminded audiences that live performance still offers something irreplaceable: a shared human experience unfolding in real time.