Dance Adelphi! Dance!

by Serene Acloque

Adelphi students show their dancing abilities at Dance Adelphi Delphian / Morgan

Lights. Camera. Action. And it was Dance Adelphi time, yet again!

Now, does that mean it was a good time with lots of laughs?

Not exactly.

It was more like a great time...with lots of tissues.

Each semester, Dance Adelphi puts on a production more invigorating and stunning than the one before. But never before has it moved me the way that it did tonight.

It began with "Lost and Found," a beautifully choreographed piece by Maurice Brandon Curry. Not particularly a Steve Wonder fan, I found myself rolling my eyes when I read from the program that the music and vocals of this piece would be done by him. But seriously, I'm a newfound Wonder groupie because of the amazing performance of Dance Adelphi's finest. Their rendition of a love lost, but eventually more strongly revisited, was a phenomenal one.

The next, "Hello Goodbye 2," was choreographed by Pat Catterson, with music by Chiapetta with Quentin. A zany piece, clinched with mime-like costumes and intricate dance moves, I thought this was the lightest piece of them all. It set the mood at a fun pace, misleading the audience, or at least me, into the belief that the rest of the show would be just as playful and carefree. But it was all a lie, and I was let in on the secret by the time the third performance, "Let Nothing Hold You," rolled around.

"Let Nothing Hold You" was a performance pieced together by senior Deseree Wiltshire, and it was one of my favorite pieces of the night, even though it helped deplete my Kleenex box (and those who know me, wouldn't find it strange that I carry one around with me.) Through the dancers' eloquent movement and dramatic displays of emotion, the piece told the story of one's spiritual struggle with God. Much congratulation goes to the brilliant choreographing of Wiltshire but also the much envied dancing of Taylor Garrabrant, Gina Sanzone, Pagan Jordan, as well as Wiltshire herself. I, personally, have plans to stalk them all and beg them to teach me to "get my groove back." I mean, really, I used to dance a little.

Just when I thought the tear jerking was over, Sarah Marks and her choreography of "Divine Madness" sent another wave of sadness over me. The music was done by Steve Reich, "Triple Quartet 1st Movement," and the dancers were Kristel Sternbenz, Effie Panselinos, and Kristy Engel. Truly gifted dancers, they expressed what love was truly life through the artistic piece. "All love has the potential to bring us to ecstasy and to the brink of insanity." Been there, done that, I know. Bit it's like going through the whole ordeal all over again, watching these three on stage. It was so real. Why aren't they theatre majors?

Right before the final piece, I found myself cursing Dance Adelphi out for two reasons.

One was because "In Memoriam," choreographed by Sharon Wong, was dedicated to dancers who had died of AIDS, and thus, it was yet another emotional piece and I had run out of Kleenex. But the second reason was, Dance Adelphi really showcases these thin, gorgeous girls and parades them around like shiny gold medals. I kept thinking, "I need to go to the gym, give up carbs, and go on a full blown Atkins Diet." But Dance Adelphi stopped being all about me and my weight issues as soon as the curtain opened to Taylor Garrabrant holding the "dead body" of Dana Johnson, another exceptional performer, and their dance began. At this point, I'd given up on my tissues, and let the overwhelming emotion beat me because it isn't often that something so seemingly small can have such a powerful effect on you.

So, Dance Adelphi was a success. Sure, I'm completely jealous of all the dancers, and yeah, my now empty box of tissues cost me over $2.00. But it was definitely worth the envy, as well as the loss.