It is a rare and noteworthy dance performance that can incorporate Edenic imagery, flexible gender roles, sexual power struggles and matching underwear sets with the standard plies and high kicks.
In its newest production, "Rise," Tufts' own Spirit of Color (SoC) dance troupe proved itself more than up to the task. But SoC's show was not produced for shock value. "Tonight," said director Tamara Chao in the "Rise" program, "our goal is to make you want to dance."
SoC staged its winter exhibition in the Aidekman Arts Center on Dec. 1 and 2. Both performances quickly sold out, and Cohen Auditorium was packed with hundreds of the troupe's famously vocal fans. The show featured an opening video by Kenny Ritchstad, a dance contest at intermission, skits and, of course, 21 separate dances.
"Rise" showcased an incredible variety of dance styles and ethnic influences. Its opening number, "Pon This," seemed to twist traditional cheerleading routines into an energetic hybrid of athletics and dance. In the second act, "Tainted Illusion" played upon conventional expectations of Broadway-style performance, punctuated with slyly ironic high kicks and gold lame costumes.
SoC also explored its own distinct style of balletic hip-hop in dances like "Pump It" and "Rude Awakening." "Jungle Woman," performed to Dianne Reeves' "Endangered Species" was definitely influenced by the tradition of tribal dance; bathed in blue light, the dancers evoked a veritable Garden of Eden to a pulsing beat.
SoC also integrated music far beyond the scope of traditional hip-hop tunes. While pieces like "Sex and Money" and "Hot Like Me" were set to popular contemporary dance songs by Kanye West and the Pussycat Dolls, other dances incorporated rock ("Walk this Way" by Aerosmith and Run-DMC in "Run SoC"), early rap ("Tricky" by Run-DMC in the same dance) and even opera ("Diva Dance" by Lucia Di Lammermoor and Inva Mulla Tchako in "In the Different Light").
In keeping with this tradition of diversity, "Rise" dealt with a number of distinct themes. "Main Attraction" and "Broken" explored sexuality and the modern courtship process, while second act showpiece "Bodyrockers" seemed to promote a spirit of healthy competition between men and women on the dance floor. In a similar vein, the act two opener "Mix It Up" allowed the women to play a dominant, almost masculine role in dance, twisting traditional ideas of gender roles in hip-hop. Other dances, like the all-female "Jungle Woman" and its all-male counterpart "Mini-Maypayo" probed the possible benefits of gender segregation.
This very diversity, however, contributed to the choppy feel of the performance as a whole. "Rise" needed a truly unifying theme. It seemed more a collection of unaffiliated dances than a cohesive, centered performance. Dances followed dances with little or no continuity, their order seemingly random. In an effort to keep the audience on its toes, SoC sacrificed its considerable power to make a forcible and lasting impression.
But if the success of a show is measured in audience appreciation and enthusiasm, than "Rise" was a hit indeed. "The crowd cheered the whole time, from beginning to end," freshman Rebecca Asthalter said. "Every time the auditorium would quiet down, someone would shout 'Ess-ohh-ceee!' or their class year, and the room would erupt again. It was kind of overwhelming."
And despite trifling concerns about cohesion, at least one attendee - freshman Lelia Chaisson - exiting Cohen after the performance, thought they had achieved its goal.
"I want to do that," she said. "I want to dance."
