iDance, uDance, we all dance

Campus Life, feature 2, iDance, Issue 18, Kaitlyn Baldwin, Rachel Trask, Campus Life - By Kaitlyn Baldwin on Thursday, February 23, 2012 - 04:15

The Whittier College Dance Team presented their fourth Annual Dance Showcase titled “iDance,” at the Ruth B. Shannon Performing Arts Center here at Whittier College this past Saturday, Feb. 18. The show consisted of 23 total separate pieces, all choreographed and produced by the Whittier College Dance Team and individual members who did solo pieces.
There were also various special guest performers who were in the show. These included the Whittier College Belly Dancing Club, the Clan Rince School of Irish Dance, the Archer School for Girls and Natural ST8. The performance itself was also funded by the Associated Students of Whittier College Senate (ASWC).

When many people think of a dance team they think of their high school team but the Whittier College Dance Team is not identical to any other team. There was a large variety of dance styles performed, ranging from classical tap and ballet to fast paced hip-hop and break-dancing to the far reaching and exotic Irish step dancing and belly dancing.

“There is a large variety of skill, background and preferences within the group,” sophomore and team member Sloane Closins said. “We all bring something different to the table. There was a lot of rehearsal time and preparation behind each one of the dances we did.”

The team definitely received positive reviews among the crowd, who were yelling out the names of their friends who were in the dance and cat calling, as is common in school dance performances.

The dance incorporated a short film of two animated characters dancing with one another to different tracks of music. The film was still on the projector when the dancers came back on stage from the short intermission.

There was one dance especially that seemed to stand out to the crowd. It was titled in the program as “Sexy Boy Special,” and was nothing less than that. Seven men walked on stage wearing nothing but comic-book printed boxers and a button up white dress shirt halfway tucked in. The crowd elicited a response when the boys all got into a V-formation and pelvic thrusted to the beat of the music which consisted of hip-hop and R&B.

“All of the dancers were amazing, but the boys who did the sexy and I know it dance and the girls who did the solo piece; those were my favorite to watch,” sophomore Patrick Ottenweiler said. “The team was really good though, a lot better than I would ever expect a small college dance team to be.” There were many people who attended and the theater was three-quarters full, which must have been rewarding for the dancers.

“I think we had a good turn out,” sophomore and team member Julia Moreno said. “I’m proud of all my fellow dancers and how well we did.”