Showcase Gives a Glimpse of Dance

Although lacking artistic cohesion, “DanceShowcaseOne” lived up to its title. Produced and directed by Elizabeth W. Bergmann and Susan Larson of the Dance Program at the Office for the Arts, it allowed students to see the different types of dance on campus come together on one stage and provided an understanding of the dance community at Harvard.

The show started off with a solid performance by Bhangra, in which the beautiful traditional costumes, the distinctively cultural choreography, and the music (both traditional and modern Bhangra) were all well chosen. Unfortunately, the other effect employed—having someone offstage occasionally shout to accompany different segments of the dance—was less effective, serving more to distract viewers from the dance than to complement the dancers’ movements.

This was followed by “Sway,” a charged Latin style dance self-choreographed by Filip Ilievski, a graduate student at MIT, and Jennifer M. Markham ’07 of Harvard Ballroom. Ilievski and Markham certainly worked the stage, pulling off a riveting and obviously emotional performance. The two later returned for “Tell Me Why,” the second-to-last dance of the night. It was unclear why, unlike Bhangra which also performed two pieces, they appeared in two segments instead of one.

“OutKast Medley,” the piece by the dancers from the Harvard TAPS, was well-intentioned but fell short. While the popular music from OutKast is conducive to certain types of dance, the loud hip-hop undermined the rhythm of the dancers. As a result, there was a constant struggle between the precise patterns of the tap shoes and the more erratic background music.

Next was the Harvard Ballet Company’s “Parsons Etude,” which was also performed in the recent Mainstage production “American Grace.” Joanna R. Binney ’08, Lauren E. Chin ’08, Madelyn M. Ho ’08, and Emily B. Stoeckel ’07 executed the whimsical choreography by David Parsons cleanly and gracefully. The highlight was a segment during which all four dancers are spread on the floor as if sleeping, switching positions in synch to the accelerating music. Both the dancers’ abilities and the preparation for the performance were apparent.

The first half of the showcase ended with Crimson Dance Team’s “Basketball Routine.” The dance team performed with energy and precision to upbeat music and flashy background lights. Overall, the result was a cohesive rendition of popular dance and popular music.

The second half opened with the premiere of “Drift,” a work put on by the Harvard Radcliffe Dance Company and choreographed by Brenda Divelbliss of the Dance Program in collaboration with the dancers. The piece lived up to its name; throughout the performance, dancers drifted on and off stage in a seemingly random fashion. Although drifting seems to imply freedom, the choreography felt limited as many dancers repeated similar motions throughout.

The dance that followed, “Fanaa,” once again displayed strong cultural influences. Both the choreographer T. Riya Sen ’07 and the dancers were members of the South Asian Dance Company. The show was clean, but was also more subdued in comparison to Bhangra. Whether it was due to the simpler costumes or fewer dancers, the effect was less striking.

The final piece, “Deku Deku” started off with an astonishing performance by the traditional drummers of the Pan-African Dance and Music Ensemble. The drumming set such a high level in terms of both technical precision and ability to engage the audience that it was impossible for the dancers to hold to the same standard. The costumes also took away from the piece as they bore a resemblance to pajamas on the males.

However, the ensemble redeemed itself by breaking into a free-style dance in the second half where members of the audience and production staff were invited onstage to participate in the revelry. By doing so, Deku Deku embraced the communal nature of dancing and was representative of spirit of the show—for performers and viewers to join in celebration of dance.