The members of the Orchesis dance ensemble displayed their talent in the Orchesis Fall Showcase on Nov. 10 and 11 in the Alice Austen Theatre with a dance show of great variety.
There was a great deal of work put into the event, with practices occurring all semester long. The dancers immense dedication was evident even in practice run-throughs. That long hours paid off with a vivid and interesting performance.
Senior Kristi Condidorio, the junior president of Orchesis, explained that the showcases are "aimed towards members" of Orchesis. "It gives them a chance to perform in front of family and friends." Some of the dancers have danced for years, and others have only just started their careers. The showcase's different pieces allowed dancers of all abilities to show off their skills. "We look at the dances themselves," Condidorio explained, "we try to intersperse those with different energy levels."
The Fall Showcase opened strong with "Tainted Love". It combined a few elements of humor into a serious dance. There were many other serious numbers throughout the show, such as "Show Me The Money," which was almost hypnotic in its presentation. The dancers slid across the stage with an eerie grace. On the other hand, "Jump! (For My Love)" was upbeat and comical in a way reminiscent of an 80s dance workout, with costumes to match.
Some of the pieces were a little less coordinated, and the songs didn't always seem to fit with the dance. For example, "The Only Difference," a song by the band Panic! At The Disco, was turned into a tap number, and the rhythm of the song didn't lend itself to the dance style. On the other hand, the tap number that was accompanied by "Black Horse in a Cherry Tree" worked better since the song had a much more stable beat.
The most unusual piece the show had to offer was "Friends Forever." It was entirely conducted by the Orchesis officers, and had the feel of a Musical Theatre Club show skit. Condidorio explained the thought process that went into the piece, saying, "We loved 'Sexy Back' by Justin Timberlake, and we wondered how we could make it not really dance-y. We wanted to have fun with it." What they came up with was hysterical. The officers crawled out on stage, to the theme of The Golden Girls, dressed up as old ladies. They then proceed to dance around to "Sexy Back" in an outrageously exaggerated fashion. The officers created it to get a piece in for themselves, because as Condidorio explained "We've all choreographed in the past," but with all the work they had to do this semester for the club they could only do the one small number. Still, it was a successful experiment.