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Dancers wowed audiences with unique props and intriguing stories as they performed original pieces in a concert, “ROYGBIV” Thursday and Friday nights.
The dance happens once each semester, and includes works that are all choreographed by grad students and performed by undergraduates in the dance program. This semester’s event took place in the Performing Arts Center to an enthusiastic crowd.
The concert showcased a variety of dance styles that kept the audience engaged.
“I really liked that it was all different,” audience member Denise Brown said. “It wasn’t just one type of dance. There was tap, ballet, and modern. It made it interesting.”
Many dances made use of several unconventional props. The piece “Getting Clean” used soap and a bucket of water as two dancers seemed to fight against each other.
It evoked shock from the audience as a piece of soap was pushed into the others mouth and then laughter as the dancer finally spit it out. It was a dilemma that eventually ended in one dancer washing off in the tub of water.
The dancers made use of a swing in “For James”. The dancer used the swing throughout, from just touching it, to having it twirling in the background as she danced, and finally swinging on it as the song ended.
One of the more popular pieces of the night was titled “Ndani” and was choreographed by Shat? L. Edwards. No music played during the performance and the only sounds were dancers who stomped their feet and exhaled loudly throughout the performance to deliver a raw performance without the distraction of music.
Another popular piece came from choreographer Takiesha Scimio. The piece titled “Femina” enthralled audiences with a unique story of women’s stereotypes.
“The duct tape represents women being seen and not heard and the dresses that they wore were all different styles because they’re different kinds of women,” Scimio said. “They took them off at the end because the dresses represented the stereotypes often placed on women and they got back in line and they were still able to be women without oppression and having a voice and all those stereotypes.”
The piece titled “Mephobia,” choreographed by Travis Prokop, took audiences inside a rock show, as the scantily-clad dancers strutted across the stage. The music for the piece was loud and fast and gave off a concert vibe. The dance was more provocative then the other pieces as the dancers took on diva personas.
Lighting also played a part in setting the tone for each performance, changing in color and intensity to illustrate the different emotions of each dance.
In one piece, “Just Another Exit,” the lighting seemed to be the main focus. The lights were projected across the stage and onto the floor and back wall and created a runway.
Another audience member, Emily Jaso, thought the concert provided a thrilling variety for the audience.
“It was interesting to see the different styles all combined in one show,” Jaso said. “All the dancers were great and I felt engaged the whole time.”
The next dance event will be “Spectrum” from April 25-27 at 8 p.m. each night in the PAC Dance Theatre. For more information, visit the Dance Program website.