Orchesis’ spring dance performance “Now That’s What I Call Orchesis” took place on Friday April 1–Saturday April 2 in Wadsworth Auditorium. The performance not only showcased the depth of the club participants’ inspiration with nearly two dozen dances—which ranged from slow and subdued to up-tempo hip-hop—but the creative mix of dance styles and attitudes also made for a very engaging performance. Boasting over 300 members as Geneseo’s largest student-run organization, Orchesis gives students the opportunity to choreograph and perform dance routines that reflect all types of styles. As a result, Orchesis is open to anyone who wants to dance, regardless of prior experience.
In addition to Orchesis members, competitive Indian dance team Geneseo Bhangra performed, celebrating the Punjabi culture from Pakistan and India. Slainte Irish Dance showcased their incredibly talented dancers—many that are regional, national and World Champion performers. Geneseo Knightline also performed a dance that included their famous high kicks.
The recital started with a performance called “SWUGS Can Dance,” a comical reference to seniors not being too washed up and done with school to dance. Other standout performances included senior Danielle Hartnett’s “Moving On” and junior Alex Weber’s “Big Spender Mashup.”
“Moving On” was a contemporary dance composed of nine dancers. The third dance of Saturday night’s performance, “Moving On,” was a slower piece that still managed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats with constant action and well-choreographed moves. Whereas “Moving On” succeeded in its subtlety, “Big Spender Mashup” featured an upbeat, bass-heavy song and hip-hop influenced dance moves that complimented the fast-moving pace.
From there, each piece did an excellent job at maintaining the audience’s attention, with dances often going from slower tempo to faster tempo and preventing the recital from growing monotonous.
What made each performance feel special and fun was the excitement that read so clearly on each performer’s face. There wasn’t a single dance where it seemed as if the performers had somewhere else they would rather be and, because of that, there was nowhere else the audience wanted to be, either.
The showcase ended with two dances that celebrated the students who had worked to bring this spring performance to the stage. The Orchesis officers choreographed the penultimate dance “Celebs Gone Wild,” featuring short dances to pop tunes, such as Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball.” The performers were incredibly enthusiastic in imitating the celebrity antics.
The final performance of the night was a senior dance that featured all Orchesis seniors dancing together before the rest of the club joined them onstage in a celebratory conclusion to the show. This positive, upbeat note was the perfect way to end the night.