ARTSMONDAY: ‘Ex-Rated’ Reveals Energy, Talent

Expressions Dance Company’s sold-out spring show, “Ex-Rated,” was fresh, fun, and entertaining. The show, directed by seniors Olakunle O. “Kunle” Oladehin ’07 and Anneliese R. Torgerson ’07 as well as Pamela M. Santoyo ’08 and Elisabeth Michaud ’09, had two back-to-back performances and featured guest groups Jam’nastics, Poppin’ Crew (at the 5:30 show), and the Harvard Breakers (at the 8:30 show).

The later show began with the excellent musical choice of Jurassic 5’s “Back 4 You” in the Company Piece, “Back for Hip Hop,” choreographed by Michaud. The next piece, named “Baditude” and choreographed by Meron K. Haileselassie ’10, stood out due to the dancers’ crispness, energy, and attitude. Expertly laid out, the piece made excellent use of the floor space with constantly changing configurations, showing off the dancers’ skills with long sequences of impeccably-executed arm movements.

“From Jamaica with Love,” choreographed by Alissa C. Cooperman ’10 and Mark A. Terrelonge ’10, featured a lot of hair twirling, floor-work, and sensuously twisting body movements, as well as the unmistakable dance move known as the “Dutty Wind.” The piece combined elements of hip-hop, jazz and reggae for a very successful product.

“Step Into My World” was choreographed by Layla Amjadi ’10 to Jennifer Lopez’s song by the same title. With the dimming of the lights, this piece took the show down a softer, more lyrically-influenced path. Although it provided a nice contrast to the rest of the dances in the first act, the piece seemed to drag on a bit, simply because it was choreographed to only one song—the rest of the dances used short selections from several different songs, offering more variety.

The guest appearance by the Harvard Breakers, a student group devoted to learning different forms of street dancing, was a nice addition to the first act. The talented group impressed the audience not only with their acrobatic and demanding breaking moves, but also some truly amazing popping and locking by the group’s leader Oladehin.

The second act took the show to a whole new level, starting off with “Why We Hot,” choreographed by Michaud, Amjadi, and Oladehin. If the next few pieces had to be summed up in one word, it would be “explosive.” Elsa S. Kim ’08 was a joy to watch in her own piece, “Dinner.” The dancers in this piece brought the edgy choreography to life with their incredible energy and enthusiasm.

“Notorious,” choreographed by Katherine N. Howard ’07 and Ingrid Maurice ’07, featured several stunning step sequences that were performed with almost military precision. The dance culminated in a riveting moment where the dancers, in a pyramid configuration, moved completely in unison to The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Spit Your Game.” The piece finished with a bang when Deborah Y. Ho ’07 was launched over the heads of her fellow dancers.

The highlight of the entire performance was, without a doubt, the guest appearance by Jam’nastics. This Cambridge-based youth dance company (ages 5-14) put on a spectacular display of both dance and gymnastics. These talented, young performers (some only waist-high) literally brought the audience to their feet with their smiles, exuberance, and acrobatics. The only thing cuter than seeing a bunch of smiling kids on stage was seeing them move better than most of us will ever be able to.

The finale, “Oh…You Don’t Know What You’ve Got,” choreographed by Oladehin, brought the show to an end in style. The dance started off mimicking the incredibly smooth sounds of Omarion’s “O” with understated, but impeccably performed, moves that highlighted Oladehin’s strengths.

Such skill was to be expected, considering that Oladehin’s renowned breakdancing skills will soon be displayed on television as he competes in the final round of the upcoming Fox reality show, “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Oladehin’s choreography made excellent use of the contrast between fluid motion and complete rigidity for a striking product, and showcased the talent of some of the company’s most advanced members.

“Oh…You Don’t Know What You’ve Got” slowly gained momentum with some tricky floor work and ended with a stunning sequence in which the dancers, in a pyramid configuration, moved across the floor in one unit. The performers’ incredible precision and control combined with their collective energy to create an amazing image that was symbolic of the great success of “Ex-Rated” as a whole.