The West Chester University Dance Company (UDC) opened their spring dance concert, Perpetual Motion, on April 24 at 8 p.m. at the Madeline Wing Adler Theatre in the Swope music building. The full length dance concert is a collaboration of the entire Department of Theatre and Dance. The Madeline Wing Adler Theatre was fully packed for Thursday’s opening night performance. Each piece had anywhere from five to 10 dancers. UDC, which is an SSI-sponsored organization presents two fulllength concerts each school year: one in the fall as well as one in the spring.
The dance concert began with “In Search of the Tropicana,” which was choreographed by faculty dance instructor Maria Urrutia. The piece was a collaboration between faculty and students in the Latin Jazz Ensemble course, 3D Art course, and UDC. The dancers moved across the stage in quick salsa-like motions and featured a lot of hip movements. The second piece, “Encantadora,” was choreographed by UDC Vice President Carmen VanNess and it was performed to “Snowden’s Jig” by Carolina Chocolate Drops.
The third dance of the evening was “Revival,” which was choreographed by Mackenzie Holmes who is the treasurer of UDC. The piece showed the dancers emotion and it was dedicated in the program and inspired by fallen firefighters and their families and friends who embody true heroic strength and perseverance every day. The fourth dance titled “Chronology” was choreographed by Alison Sharp, a senior theatre major with a concentration in dance. It was performed to the sounds of telephones ringing, different types of vehicles, text message alerts, and even broadband dial-up sounds
The fifth dance of the evening was a tap number. The piece was titled “And We Are” and was choreographed by Kelsey Zolochik. This was one of the larger numbers of the show featuring nine dancers. It was performed to “So Fresh, So Clean” by Outkast and was a very quick and upbeat number. Following the fifth performance there was a 15 minute intermission. During this time UDC members filled the aisles of the theatre engaging the crowd while dancing in synch to Gas Pedal and Turn Down for What.
Following the intermission, the sixth performance of the night, Onward and Upward, was choreographed by UDC President Bailey O’Brien. “That Old Familiar Pain” by Trevor Gordon Hall and “I’ll Be There For You” by Boyce Avenue were the music featured during this number and the dancers played off of one another’s emotions as they moved across the stage. The Endless Knot was the seventh dance of the night and was choreographed by Bridget Carlin. The piece featured a lot of jumps and synchronization of the dancers. “Ctrl-Alt-Delete,” the eighth dance of the evening was a quick moving piece, and featured movements across the entire stage through the entire number.
The ninth dance “A Vestige in Time,” was another larger number featuring ten dancers. Choreographed by Natalie Flynn who is the secretary of UDC, this piece was emotional as well as very quick and directional. The final dance of the evening was “Catalyst.” Set to soft music, the dancers utilized the entire stage. The dance concert concluded with a bow of the entire dance company. They danced on stage as a whole cast to Pharrell’s “Happy.” From the music, lighting, and especially the dancers, the performance was a joint effort by all.
Alexandra Arbiz is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies. She can be reached at AA736117@wcupa.edu.