TDC gets 'cold' in Cohen

It may have been getting cold outside, but it was certainly hot in Cohen Auditorium Saturday night, as the Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) took the stage for its end-of-the-semester show wittily entitled "It's Gettin' Cold in Here."

TDC put on two shows: one at 7:00, and the other at 9:30. Cohen was packed for both these performances with the usual boisterous, vociferous, and sufficiently liquored-up audience that seemed to crave some good dancin'.

That is exactly what they got as 18 different acts shook their groove things (pronounced thangs), with an abundance of musical and physical variety, ranging from ballet to a step above the proverbial "nasty." While the acts encompassed a wide range of styles, one thing all the groups had in common was a passion for dance, shown through their contagious enthusiasm and physical effervescence.

The show mostly featured large, MTV-style group numbers, interspersed with special guest dance groups. The large groups were always in sync, despite containing enough people to fill the entire stage.

The groups managed to keep each dance unique and entertaining, although some particularly stood out. "Freedom", choreographed by Sean Bjerke and Carolyn Whitten, and set to George Michael's infectious "Freedom '90" featured a prison/prisoner theme, which built to a climax when all the dancers ripped off their shirts revealing bright primary colors underneath. The dance moves were fresh and exciting and proved that they need not turn to blatant sexuality to entertain.

Not that the more overtly sexy choreographed numbers were not entertaining. "Not Your Average Girl", choreographed by Tiffany Groover and Natalia Vernon and the final number "Mysterious Ways", choreographed by Amanda Miller and Shula Waldocks both featured sultry females and riled up the audience.

Numbers like "Enya," however, beautifully choreographed by Sabrina Lenoi and Naomi Sleeper still captivated the audience, but with their fluid ballet-inspired grace.

The guest performance groups where gave outstanding performances as well. Despite excessive strobe lights and a seeming lack of choreography, most members of Turbo could stand on their heads, which was, needless to say, cool.

Sarabande performed an impressive number set to tribal music, which showcased the talents of individual dancers. The Explosion Latina practically set Cohen on fire with their show-stopping number full of Latin passion.

A night with TDC proves that you don't have to be Nelly to be hot.