The Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) took over Jackson Gym last weekend with its spring show We Like You. Despite a few technical difficulties - and being limited to a 100-member audience - the performance was another outstanding success for the student-run organization.
This semester's performance consisted of 24 dances ranging from hip-hop to modern, and featured everything from kick lines to breakdancing. The show opened with artistic directors Amanda Miller and Patrick Girvin explaining to the audience the process of picking a title for the performance. Rejects included Dance with Scissors (you can see the danger in a group of dancers jumping around with scissors) and So Fresh and So Clean (a dance based on the act of showering). Needless to say, the number proved to be a perfect example of the humorous antics that TDC has become infamous for.
Miller proved her talents as a choreographer with two of the evening's most memorable dances, "What What" and "cantyouseemydesire@hotmail.com," choreographed in collaboration with Shula Waldoks. Set to the music of Noreaga, "What What" was an upbeat hip-hop number featuring 27 dancers clad in black tee shirts and fatigues. "cantyouseemydesire@hotmail.com" was a slower dance set to the Janet Jackson's sensual "That's the Way Love Goes."
While TDC is usually a hip-hop oriented show, We Like You featured a surprising number of slower dances compared to previous performances. Choreographers Leslie Kung and Jolene Stewart's "I Belong to You" stood out as one of the evening's best. The number opened and closed with the dancers creating intricate patterns using small electric blue flashlights. The dance featured a significant amount of interaction between the dancers and some intricate choreography. Other dances that strayed from hip-hop to a more Martha Graham modern dance style included Kate Holohan's "Talk Show Host," set to the music of Radiohead, and Debra Steinberg's "After Hours," set to the incredible vocals of Ella Fitzgerald.
"Freestyler," choreographed by Sarah Booth, Kellly Dutton, and Carrie Larson, was one of the best hip-hop numbers of We Like You. With 24 dancers, the piece featured some of the most complicated and intricate hip-hop choreography. The enthusiasm of the dancers in this upbeat piece was contagious. Many of the audience members couldn't help but dance in their seats.
The audience took a stroll down memory lane with "Fraggle Rock," choreographed by Rachel Richards. The audience sang along to the unforgettable theme song as the dancers, wearing bright, outrageous costumes complete with yellow hardhats, pranced around the stage. While there wasn't much technical dancing in this piece, it was a good time, just like Fraggle Rock back in the '80s.
Most touching were the dances choreographed by graduating seniors. Among these seniors was the artistic director himself, Patrick Girvin. Following a surprise appearance by his mother, the show ended with his number set to the music of Outkast. A dance eight months in the making, it was a testament to Girvin's long-time commitment to TDC and his dedication and love of dance.
What makes TDC one of the most anticipated performances of the semester is the fact that, quite simply, it's a good time. In addition to the creativity of TDC members, what makes every performance so memorable is the remarkable enthusiasm of the TDC dancers - they're there to have fun, and they're going to make sure you have fun, too. And you do, time and time again.
