The opening dance was performed to the Michael Jackson song, "The Way You Make Me Feel," which is always great for playful, sexy dance moves and is definitely reminiscent of the movie about the American Ballet Dance Academy, "Center Stage." April Lerner '08 choreographed the routine; she was also one of the dancers for not only this routine, but for many others as well. The dancers were clad in black leotards and white button-down shirts knotted above the belly button appropriately adhering to the infamous '80s style. The first noticeable thing, besides the great music choice and costumes, were the dancers' sharp, tight movements intermixed with pouty facial expressions. Each dancer perfectly executed the dramatic head movement and sexy shoulder shrug, and with all the jerky, tactful head tossing and hair waving, I felt like I was watching a Pantene Pro-V commercial. The dancers all possessed confidence and attitude, never underestimating the power of a nod or crisp head shake.
This spring concert took me back to different stages of growing up, from the silly times in elementary school spent listening to Alanis Morissette to my more innocent days in preschool watching "Mary Poppins." The routine to Morissette's "Head Over Feet" was choreographed by Joe Gallegos '05, one of two male dancers in the company. The dancers wore the classic "Risky Business" outfit or post-sex button down. The company also dressed in all-black and carried chimney sweeps to stomp along with the song "Step in Time," one of the most underrated pieces in "Mary Poppins." This performance was reminiscent of the Broadway favorite "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk" with its factory-sounding stomps, bumps, bangs and rhythms.
The senior solos were outstanding. Kristin Boyd choreographed and performed a modern ballet dance to "Walk Away" by Ben Harper. Boyd's performance was simply beautiful, and it was clear that she put a great deal of work and preparation into it, and that she has an extensive background in ballet. She executed every single move with the grace and precision of a professional ballerina. The other star soloist was Gallegos, who danced the Irish jig while dressed in an eye-catching silk red shirt with black pants. This hot, somewhat Spanish, outfit had the perfect amount of flair and was an interesting choice for the "Riverdance"-style step dance. The best part of his final performance was the undeniable display of natural talent. Gallegos' legs are extremely disciplined and seem to disconnect from his body with a mind of their own. Each tap was loud and exact, creating a speedy, Celtic rhythm throughout the auditorium.
My favorite group performance was set to the song "Natural Troubles" by Moby. This dynamic dance utilized moves from both the ballet and jazz genres but still maintained a delicate consistency. The dance steps, sways and motions matched perfectly with the sound, and the dancers upheld a certain serious, determined countenance throughout. It was "Midsummer Night's Dream" meets an Andrew Lloyd Webber production.
Overall, Amherst Dance's spring concert, "And We're Dancing," was an upbeat yet fluid performance. I was especially impressed with the dancers who participated in almost all of the dances, even some that came in consecutive order. At first I did not understand why so much time lingered between each set; however, once I saw the familiar faces that I recognized from the previous performance, I was astounded at how quickly they could change not only their costumes, but their dance routines and styles. The company must have spent many days preparing this concert, and their devotion and love of dance was present in every kind of performance from jazz to '80s to country Western style.