Spring Dance Concert example essay topic

Hollie Hutchinson April 16, 2005 Dance 140 Stephanie ThibeaultThe many signs of Dance 'To learn the language of dance, one must perform. ' That quote is taken from C. Nicholas Johnson, director of dance. In the following paper, I will review the Wichita Contemporary Dance Theater performance that took place April 8-9 at 7: 30. I will be reviewing Friday nights performance.

As C. Nicholas Johnson said, 'In doing so, we hope to encourage personal growth beyond the art itself. Ever since I heard about the Spring Dance Concert, I was very excited to go and be part of that. For some reason that night I thought I was going to be seeing a Ballet concert. So when the first piece came on 'Dear Me' choreographed by Cheyla Cabrales, I was in for a real shock.

Soloist Stephanie Davis started the show out with a very modern dance, by doing all her moves by simply sitting in a chair. The audience was then surprised with a outburst of dancers right beside them. All over the room there were breaths that were taken at the same time and complete surround dancing. I enjoyed this piece not just for the uniqueness, but for the music and the openness affect it had on me and the audience.

The second piece, 'Warfaring' choreographed by Janice Garrett, was much more different from the first piece. It was much more brighter, the girls wore green dresses, and the music was fiddles and guitars. It involved 4 dancers, but it seemed like more because they were doing so much work throughout the movement. I liked this piece, it made me smile, because the girls had smiles on their faces as they were dancing. They looked as if they could have danced all day and be completely satisfied. The third piece 'Inside Out' choreographed by Nick Johnson, was one of my favorites.

'To all my female dance majors... I understand!' That was the quote that was under the piece's title. In my head I was thinking that this was probably going to be a slow emotional dance with soft music. But instead it was very humorous. Nick Johnson was half a women and half a man. The costume was perfect, it was literally haft women and half man.

I thought of the act as a 'dating's cent. The man being all nervous and wanting the women, but the women showing that she likes him, but making sure he knows that she is in charge. Just writing about this made me have some respect for Nick Johnson. He did a outstanding job entertaining the audience and making them feel involved in the strange courtship. The fourth piece 'Blind Faith' choreographed by Stephanie Theibeault, for some reason reminded me of spring.

The dancers came out in everyday dresses, of blue with a pink ribbon tied around their waists. The 4 dancers not wearing dresses, were in capris and a blue silky halter top along with a ribbon tied around each waist. The music was a jazz style with some violin. In my mind this dance was about conforming to the world. The 4 dancers wanted to be themselves and not conform to the girls in blue dresses. But they were swayed and started to join their line of perfection.

But then they all realize that they have ribbons, representing that they were all alike in some way. Then there was a couple dance at the end of the piece. To be honest I got a little lost when the couple came out and the group went away. But I assumed that they chose their own world of being with each other. The fifth dance 'While the city Sleeps' choreographed by Nick Johnson, was one that I would say was a little vulgar. The title explains it all, while the city sleeps, things go on and that being bad things.

All the dancers were in black, and were dancing to electric guitar music that set the mood of 'wildness'. They were all coupled up with someone, even girls with girls. The movements were very sexual and very close. In the end the dancers seemed as if they were fighting and wanting out of the relationship they had. But then would go back to them. In the end they were all in a 'circle of love' and danced in slow harsh movements.

It wasn't my favorite one, because it made me feel uncomfortable, but it did make me more open to things. The sixth scene 'Under your Skin' choreographed by Nick Johnson was very interesting. The curtain opened to 4 dancers in bubble tubes, wearing plain white dresses. They were making movements of sadness and distress. Then 4 more dancers just on the stage came out in blue dresses. I pictured this as almost a movie.

The girls in blue dresses, got the girls in bubbles out of them and started to dance with them, almost like comforting them. Then in the end they had to put them back in, but then the girls in blue dresses went along with them, almost like conforming to their world too. I liked this dance a lot, it made my mind wonder and made me feel sad when watching it, but a good type of sad feelings. The seventh dance 'Luz da Lua' choreographed by Denise Celestin, was more ballet like. Knowing that Denise Celestin was a ballet teacher, I knew that this dance was maybe going to be more ballet like. But overall it wasn't the typical ballet performance.

The costumes were not tutus and tights, but more hippie looking with just plain sports bra tops. The moves were faster and a little more modern. The 5 dancers were sometimes in point or sometime flat footed. I liked this dance too, because it helped me be more open to all types of ballet. Another sign of dance was the eighth dance 'Between the Lines' choreographed by Cheyla Cabrales, was not one of my favorite ones. It was a monologue and a dancer.

The speaker was talking and the dancer would dance as she was talking. I think overall the speaker was telling how she felt about everything going on in her life and trying to make the dancer understand her feelings and try and grasp the emptiness that herself was feeling. The music was of nature sounds and very different. Overall it wasn't one of my favorites, but then again it was another sign of dance. The final piece 'Patterns of Change' by Sabrina Vasquez, I considered to also be about conforming to the other side. The dancers were in matching suits to their couple.

They danced with their partner and knew them well. But then their would be outburst of change and switching of partners. At then end they were all with different partners, but more whole as a group. Overall I think the Spring Dance Concert was well worth attending.

By watching all the pieces, it helped me be more open to dance and all the different types it brings. I'm kind of glad it wasn't just ballet like I thought that it was, but that it was all different types. Every dance has a sign, whether it be contemporary, jazz or ballet it's all dance.