A dazzle of dancers clad in colorful costumes stole the spotlight in this past weekend’s ‘A Celebration of Dance,’ which according to Dance Teacher Joyce Gouveia is a culminating event that her students work towards all year.
Both acts of the show were performed on May 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and the second act alone was performed during Bruin Time on May 9th. The first act consisted of student choreography, guest choreographed pieces, and other off-theme dances. The second act was one seamless dance, flowing between numbers symbolizing women’s rights through the ages. This act represented the suffragettes, Rosie the Riveter, the #MeToo movement, and much more.
Despite this feminist forefront, the solo male performer was neither pushed to the side nor portrayed as ‘the enemy,’ at least for the majority of the show. Rather, he was included in the choreography, and danced alongside the girls.
While the theme of the show was civil rights, the focus of the show was a simple enjoyment and celebration of dance. Due to the fact that some of the students had never danced before this year, or at least had very little training prior to their enrollment in either Dance I or Dance II, there was not a strong emphasis placed on precise technique. However, this paved the way for creative movement, and an energetic and enthusiastic show.
Much of this creativity was drawn from student choreography- dances conceived from the minds of Juniors and Seniors in Dance II at Bear River. They had complete freedom to choose their song, their movements, their costumes, and even in some cases their lighting.
The costumes were varied, colorful, and added to the atmosphere of each piece, though some required extremely fast changes of tights, shoes, hair, and of course the costume itself. This was due to the fact that there were not many dancers overall; rather, the show alternated only between featuring the group of Dance I students, the group of Dance II students, and smaller selections of the performers in duets, trios, and so on.
The small amount of performers meant that each dancer had a lot of time on stage; their endurance and athleticism was tested. They kept their energy up, and in return the audience was attentive and encouraging. During one part of the show, the words, ‘We must tell girls their voices are important’ were projected across the dancers walking forward in one line, and a chorus of gasps came from the families and friends watching the show.
One thing the performance was missing was much of a variety of styles. The show primarily consisted of jazz and contemporary dances, with one hip hop number and one African number. In the future, more hip hop and African, along with perhaps some tap or swing dances would mix it up and bring the show to a whole new level.
Most likely, the next time this group will perform will be next year during a Bear River rally. In the meantime, they will continue to practice and perfect their technique, especially considering how many senior dancers are graduating and how different the class dynamic will be next year.
