By Marybeth O’Connor ’15
Photo Courtesy of Sarah Mitchell
The dancing damsels of Lafayette Dance Company were a huge hit at their Spring Recital last Friday. Over two hundred audience members arrived to be dazzled and awed by the 19 dance routines performed by about 40 dancers. Types of dance at the recital included ballet, tap, belly dancing, jazz, classical pointe, modern, hip hop, lyrical, interpretive, and contemporary styles.
The Lafayette Dance Company is comprised of dancers of all skill and experience levels, yet one would not have known this by watching the amazingly choreographed routines. The dance company met as individual dance classes and most performers danced several songs, averaging in at about six hours of dance a week and performing in seven routines approximately for the recital.
Rebecca Murray ’15, a long-time dancer and member of the Lafayette Dance Company, commented on the level of commitment the dancers have. “Everybody is really committed and you can tell everyone wants to try to do their best and make sure each dance paints a pretty picture.” This is certainly true as the company works all year to see their efforts culminate in this spring recital.
The recital also included performances by Lafayette’s hip-hop dance group, Gossip Prone, and audition-based dance team, the Lafayette College Dance Team.
Lights dimmed and the audience hushed as the recital opened with the high energy beat of music from FOX’s hit dancing show, So You Think You Can Dance?. The opening routine was a jazz style dance performed by almost half of the company and was well received with roaring applause at the end. The Lafayette Dance Company President Taylor Miller ’13 spoke to thank everyone for their support and encouragement of the dancers. The event went on to showcase lime green and hot pink tutus, the sashaying and twinkling of belly dancer hip skirts, symbolically torn tee shirts and many more ensembles.
Every so often after a group dance routine, a solo performance would be artfully displayed, such as Lauren Steinbeck’s ’14 self-choreographed routine of Rachel Yamagata’s song “Be Be Your Love” where she elegantly incorporated a stool into her contemporary jazz style based off of So You Think You Can Dance contestant Lauren Gottlieb. Members of the dance company were given the option to perform a solo if they wished and so the recital had a total of six solos ranging in style from ballet to lyrical-modern.
The spring recital ended with a dynamic traditional performance titled, “Senior Dance: ‘Good Riddance.’” Eight graduating senior dancers performed their last song together as a mix of tap and contemporary dance. The routine was reminiscent of their four years dancing together at Lafayette and becoming friends on and off stage. A junior year student then took the microphone and recognized each senior girl with a sunflower: Jaclyn Avidon, Ruth Dennehy, Jessica Frey (who also choreographed the Senior Dance), Melissa Foley, Kristen Kovalcik, Sarah Mitchell, Ciara O’Sullivan, and Hayley Trowbridge. Two of the most dominant seniors who from the speeches clearly had a strong impact upon the company as a whole instead received a rose and a commemorative mug: Jessica Frey ‘12 and Sarah Mitchell ‘12.
As the curtain call began for the show’s close, each dancer smiled modestly as the audience gave a standing ovation. All that could be said about the wonderful performance was felt in the applause that sounded like ocean waves crashing to shore.