|
Volume CXXXII, Number 11 |
 |
Bowdoin puts on its dancing shoes
HANNAH DEAN
STAFF WRITER
 |
| Dancers express their emotions through movement. Wearing elegant costumes, their colorful presentations dazzled audiences at the annual December dance performance in Pickard Theater. (Hans Law, Bowdoin Orient) |
The stage was set for an evening of dance-both traditional and modern. The students about to perform were ready to pour their hearts onto the stage in a flurry of movement, which would leave their audience breathless.
The first performer, Keerthi Sugamaran '06, started the evening with the Bharata Natyam-the purest form of Indian dance. Ankles bangled, she moved across the stage with sharp movements, punctuating her expressions with the sound of the bells wrapped about her legs. The dance represented the blend of rhythmic movement, expression through the eyes, and the dramatic element behind the classical Indian dance tradition.
In a swift change of pace, the stage then became a dream world as Benedicta Doe '05 performed "Dreaming." Clothed in red, her sharp movements were contrasted with the slow, graceful reactions of the gauzy scarves that she held in each hand. As she pierced the air with her arms, the blue and red scarves moved like water through the air, seeming to mock the force of her motion on the stage.
Later in the show, the stage bloomed into a peppy swing dance choreographed by Paul Krakauske and June Vail. The piece was entitled "T'Aint What You Do" and simulated the setting of a dance hall, filled with exuberant men and women.
Another highlight of the evening was a dance called the "Portrait of Madame Matisse: The Green Line." Choreographed and performed by Tara Kohn '05, the dance was conceived in response to Henri Matisse.
In the painting "he draws upon both his classical and modern understanding of art to arrive at a new representation of creative identity," according to Kohn.
Consequently, the dichotomy between the classical and modern dance movements represent a similar artistic journey.
The effect of this combination was quite remarkable and the movements of her body were utterly mesmerizing as they deftly negotiated between contemporary and classical movements.
The Bowdoin Unity Step Team came onto the stage next to fill the theater with sharp rhythms-turning the stage into a giant drum and their feet into drum sticks. The piece was choreographed by Ayidah Bashir '04, Kareem Canada '05, Evelyne Tseng '03, and Evangeline White '04. As the group of dancers melted into various shapes, using their bodies to create the beat, the stage reverberated with their energy.
The evening finished with a dance entitled "Something's Gotta Give." Choreographed by Gwyneth Jones and members of Dance 112-the dance was very much characteristic of the music, which included selections from Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and others.
Many of the movements entailed the formation of intricate, static patterns formed by several dancers which then dissolved as the dancers collapsed onto the stage. The effect was quite dazzling and effective- truly reflecting the title of the dance.
The annual December Dance Performance is put on by the Bowdoin Dance Group of the Department of Theater and Dance opened on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in Pickard Theater. A reception in Drake Lobby was held after the opening night performance.
|
FastCounter by bCentral |