Last weekend was incredible!
On Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, all styles of dances were performed at the annual Spring Dance Showcase. This year’s theme was “Caught Dancing,” because we had a couple of prison-themed dances going on..
We have been working on the showcase for the past three months already. It began with open auditions in February, after which student choreographers chose who they wanted in their group performances.
I really wanted to learn how to swing dance, so I opted to take part in that performance this year. Also, I anticipated that we were going to be wearing pretty dresses (and we did!).
Here we are as a group, with Kira, our choreographer, in blue. On the bottom left is our ending pose, and in the top left are our male dancers ready to swoon us with their slick finger snapping.
Besides our performance, there were several burlesque/jazz numbers, contemporary solos and trios, and hip hop performances. We ended with an African dance-inspired piece choreographed by our director, Ms. Emily. The piece highlighted the struggles that modern women face, and how there is hope for those women who are abused or otherwise disrespected if we only care to listen.
After our performances were over, it was time to shift gears and attend the Linfield Hawaiian Club’s 41st Annual Hawaiian Luau: Hot Hawaiian Nights. And it was indeed a hot Hawaiian night – physically and metaphorically..
Luau is a big deal at our college. Every year, students and members of the community alike pay to watch performances and have a buffet-style dinner. The Hawaiian Club also brings in products from Hawaii for sale, such as Kona coffee and special biscuits from the islands.
I was really surprised at how many different styles of Hawaiian dance there are. It wasn’t just about the hula; we were treated to Tahitian-style dances and even the Haka dance from New Zealand. It was also interesting to understand the meaning behind some of these dances. I particularly enjoyed the men dancing as Hawaiian cowboys. A feast for the eyes *wink wink*…
I also have to applaud the emcees and the organizers. The hosts managed to mix modern and traditional elements together throughout the show by dancing to pop songs in between the traditional pieces.
Even though I was left scrambling to finish my 98-page paper the rest of that weekend, I don’t regret it. Rehearsing for performances is a lot of hard work, but it leaves you – and the audience – with a great feeling of satisfaction.