Ridenhour ’15 Choreographs 3rd Season at Kings Dominion

Sarah Mawyer Ridenhour ’15 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance) returned for another year as choreographer for Kings Dominion’s new show “RetroSpect,” a high-intensity, interactive song-and-dance experience featuring a nonstop mix of current and throwback party anthem favorites. She also choreographed the park’s summer production of “Grand Carnivale” including its opening and closing showcases, “The Spectacle of Color” parade and “The Royal Send-Off,” where she worked with other Shenandoah University alumni and current students.

“Grand Carnivale” is the theme park’s global celebration showcasing different countries through live entertainment and international foods. Located in Doswell, Virginia, Kings Dominion is one of 11 theme parks operated by parent company Cedar Fair.

This was Ridenhour’s third season as the park’s choreographer. She previously choreographed productions for Haunt in 2022 and WinterFest 2022 and served as associate choreographer for WinterFest in 2019 and Carnivale in 2022. She danced in numerous park shows before this.

Pictured: Kati Freeman ’21 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance), Liannah Carey ’26 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance), Ridenhour (37 weeks pregnant at the time), Alayna Watkins ’25 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance), Rachel Tomnay ’25 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance) and Ella Newman ’25 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance)