In 2007, Wichita State dance instructor Cheyla Chandler choreographed an emotionally charged duet piece after a failed relationship.

“It has a lot to do with infidelity,” she said.

Nine years later, it’s taking her and two WSU students to Washington D.C. to perform at a prestigious national dance festival this summer.

Chandler — who also graduated from WSU’s dance program — will travel in June to the nation’s capital with senior Kelsey Stocklein and sophomore Max Mayerle to perform the duet at the John F. Kennedy Center, the location the American College Dance Association’s national festival.

Every two years, colleges from across the country compete in a regional contest for a spot at the national festival. Out of 43 other performances, Chandler’s piece — along with three others — was selected to perform at the festival.

“It’s just wild and such a blessing for it to ever happen,” Chandler said.

Stocklein has performed it before with different partners at different performances over the last few years. She said it’s the darkest piece she has ever performed.

“I relate to it on some personal levels,” Stocklein said. “To be able to go to that dark place is intense.”

 Mayerle, who was at first an understudy to the original male performer, took the lead two weeks before performing at regionals. He and Stocklein must have intense chemistry on stage, which makes the performance so moving, Chandler said.

“It’s a whirlwind,” Mayerle said. “Its really hard to get to that place; it has been a big challenge for me as a dancer.”

Both Stocklein and Mayerle are still pinching themselves.

“It still doesn’t seem real,” Mayerle said.

At regionals a few weeks ago, Chandler’s piece was one of the closing performances.

“This particular piece is a lot more serious,” she said. “There wasn’t any other piece like it as far as the feel from it,” she said.

Chandler described the dance as one-of-a-kind, with modern and thematic elements.

“Emotional maturity plays a key role in being able to perform this piece,” she said. “For an artistic purpose, you have to be vulnerable enough to communicate different emotions to audience.”

Chandler said she is most thrilled with the way Mayerle and Stocklein execute the performance.

“Most fulfilling part is to see them push themselves as artists and dancers,” Chandler said.