To claim that you can put on a "Supershow" is to owe the audience something spectacular, out of the ordinary and brimming with excitement and rare talent. In the past, Sarabande, Tufts' repertory dance ensemble, has kept the promise of the "Supershow," (not to mention made use of the handy alliteration that goes along with it). Tonight in Cohen Auditorium, Tufts students have another opportunity see the distinctive event.
The show features eight dances choreographed and performed by the members of Sarabande, as well as eight performances by outside groups. Divided into two acts, the show alternates Sarabande's dances with pieces by B.E.A.T.S., Tufts Dance Collective (TDC), Spirit of Color (SoC), Irish Step, Tufts Ballroom Dance Team, Arab Students Association (ASA), Major: Undecided and TURBO.
Among their eight dances, Sarabande will bridge nearly all styles of dance, performing modern, ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop pieces. Sarabande is the only dance group on campus that finds permanent members by way of auditions, and this often draws long-time dancers to the group.
"What ties us all together is that we all have had training in ballet and modern dance since way before we came to college," said Jessica Mattos, one of the show's producers.
For the Fall Sarabande Supershow, the eight dances range in size from five to 12 dancers. The pieces prepared by Sarabande for Friday's show will include a ballet/jazz piece to the tune of "Mysterious Ways" by U2, a hip hop dance to a Black Eyed Peas medley, a modern dance to Cake's "Shadow Stabbing," a lyrical modern piece inspired by Radiohead's "Talk Show Host" and some point and tap pieces.
Beyond Sarabande's pieces, the Supershow offers students an extensive line-up of performing groups at Tufts. As Kaitlin Toner, the president of Sarabande, said, "This is one of the rare opportunities for students unfamiliar with certain groups to see a wide variety. It's unusual to get to see ASA and TURBO performing together."
Stephanie Cohen, a member and public relations representative of the group, said the Supershow provides an opportunity for student groups such as ASA, for whom dance is only a portion of their overall focus, to share their culture and style with the campus. "They're not a performance group, they're a group of students who share the same culture," she said.
The Supershow can also serve as "a chance for groups to get a start with a Tufts audience," Cohen said. This year's Supershow marks the Ballroom Dance Team's performance debut on campus, since the group is usually involved in competitive dancing.
Sarabande has cut down on the show's run time by nixing the usual M.C. hosting and including a sampling of Tufts performance groups, rather than including all of them.
"We try to focus on groups that are more movement based, whereas we used to have more a capella," Toner said.
Still, said Cohen, "We try to keep it as 'super' as possible."
This grand vision is evident in the show's lineup, which spans cultures, mediums and styles. "We still want to keep it a supershow and not just have dances," Cohen said, speaking to the inclusion of less-pirouette-inclined groups such as Major: Undecided and B.E.A.T.S.
While not all of the groups will stretch before taking the stage, Sarabande's "Supershow" provides an outlet for each to share their unique forte with the Tufts campus.
Kate Drizos contributed to this article.
