Spring dance concert entertaining, unique
Patrick Hawkins
Issue date: 3/2/09 Section: The Scene
When I first heard of the ETSU spring dance concert from a participating friend, my first thought was that I really enjoy music and dancing, but choreographed ballet wasn't really my thing.
I was quickly assured that it wouldn't be a performance with rigid adherence to tradition and exclusively stereotypical dancers that all have to be a certain height, weight and hair color. I had my doubts about this, but I went.
I was pleasantly surprised that throughout the evening, the diversity that I always want in such performances was not only present but celebrated and sometimes the central theme.
As I wandered into our tiny Bud Frank Theater, I didn't expect to see so many people. Admittedly, I am a little out of the loop when it comes to theater and dance, but I hadn't heard anyone talking about it on campus.
Before the show began, my anticipation was mounting from the whispers of the theater being sold out and the presence of a large double trapeze hanging from the stage ceiling. I was not disappointed, as the first sounds that set the dancers into motion were Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good," which was a strong and popular start for the show, which was then followed somewhat discordantly by a playful and cute love song for a duo by the same artist. The section of three vastly different songs that paid homage to Simone was rounded off by an intense and wonderfully choreographed interpretation of "Sinnerman," which any true fan of music should be acquainted with.
The costumes and the lighting were often characters in their own right, sometimes changing moods and sometimes transforming the dancers into a background of chaotic activity focusing attention around something more central.
The clothing ranged from tastefully vintage formal wear for the couple, to meaningfully bold colors for the groups of girls fluttering across the stage.
I won't even try to explain the baseball playing dancers; you just should have seen it yourself.
Themes of the performance varied and reflected the diverse biographies printed in the program. Some dance numbers (for example the baseball one) were simply a lot of fun, while others showed a broad range of emotions woven together.
The uniting subject seemed to be a love of dance as a creative outlet. Stories were told through "Sinnerman" and a powerful solo dance done to a sort of techno song "In and Out of Place" with a simple but symbolic door frame set.
I'm sure criticisms can be mustered up by people who know more about dance performances than I do.
Maybe the executions weren't as perfect as professional dancers, but as one of the chosen songs says, "there's beauty in the breakdown." The ETSU dancers put together an excellent show.
From the suspenseful trapeze swinging, to the sexy swirling of flowing costumes, the dancers brought personality to their numbers.
It defied my notion of what a dance recital is and made me look forward to future shows. The enthusiasm of the crowd in attendance Thursday night also suggests that more of these performances should be done.
I was quickly assured that it wouldn't be a performance with rigid adherence to tradition and exclusively stereotypical dancers that all have to be a certain height, weight and hair color. I had my doubts about this, but I went.
I was pleasantly surprised that throughout the evening, the diversity that I always want in such performances was not only present but celebrated and sometimes the central theme.
As I wandered into our tiny Bud Frank Theater, I didn't expect to see so many people. Admittedly, I am a little out of the loop when it comes to theater and dance, but I hadn't heard anyone talking about it on campus.
Before the show began, my anticipation was mounting from the whispers of the theater being sold out and the presence of a large double trapeze hanging from the stage ceiling. I was not disappointed, as the first sounds that set the dancers into motion were Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good," which was a strong and popular start for the show, which was then followed somewhat discordantly by a playful and cute love song for a duo by the same artist. The section of three vastly different songs that paid homage to Simone was rounded off by an intense and wonderfully choreographed interpretation of "Sinnerman," which any true fan of music should be acquainted with.
The costumes and the lighting were often characters in their own right, sometimes changing moods and sometimes transforming the dancers into a background of chaotic activity focusing attention around something more central.
The clothing ranged from tastefully vintage formal wear for the couple, to meaningfully bold colors for the groups of girls fluttering across the stage.
I won't even try to explain the baseball playing dancers; you just should have seen it yourself.
Themes of the performance varied and reflected the diverse biographies printed in the program. Some dance numbers (for example the baseball one) were simply a lot of fun, while others showed a broad range of emotions woven together.
The uniting subject seemed to be a love of dance as a creative outlet. Stories were told through "Sinnerman" and a powerful solo dance done to a sort of techno song "In and Out of Place" with a simple but symbolic door frame set.
I'm sure criticisms can be mustered up by people who know more about dance performances than I do.
Maybe the executions weren't as perfect as professional dancers, but as one of the chosen songs says, "there's beauty in the breakdown." The ETSU dancers put together an excellent show.
From the suspenseful trapeze swinging, to the sexy swirling of flowing costumes, the dancers brought personality to their numbers.
It defied my notion of what a dance recital is and made me look forward to future shows. The enthusiasm of the crowd in attendance Thursday night also suggests that more of these performances should be done.
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