Spring semester is rapidly coming to a close, as marked by the thinning of the roving tours of pre-frosh and increased hours spent at the library for late-night cram sessions. In another sign of the coming of summer, the campus also hosts a plethora of plays, concerts, lectures and performances.
Today and tomorrow, Tufts' popular dance ensemble Spirit of Color (SoC) will present their spring show, "Pulse," in Cohen Auditorium.
SoC has gained notoriety for their high-energy, sexually-charged performances, and "Pulse" promises to deliver yet another provocative and exhilarating night.
According to SoC president junior Tamara Chao, the title "Pulse" refers to "a heartbeat," a regular palpitation steadily increasing until "a high point ... an explosion."
The name "really captures the energy" of the performance adds junior and SoC publicist Sonia Tsao.
This semester's show features over 80 dancers and consists of 21 different dances. SoC performances rarely have a specific theme; the troupe concentrates on using the unique dance backgrounds of each SoC dancer to diversify the show.
The show has "a lot of different styles and a lot of different dancers," Chao said. "SoC is known for being really upbeat. Our goal is to make the audience want to dance."
In addition, "choreographers choose their own theme," Tsao added. "I think all the dance groups at Tufts are pretty passionate ... [but in SoC,] every performer and choreographer has a very different background in dance ... We mix these elements with different genres."
When asked to compare the spring performance to previous offerings, both president and publicist mentioned the strength and drive of current dancers. "We've grown into the group," said Tsao. "We're a little more mature and better prepared... Younger dancers are more willing to open up."
Chao said of the dancers, simply, "They just love to dance." She also mentioned the show's music. "Music varies from semester to semester... [There's] an old-school feel as well as new-school, popular songs." She adds, "Some things always stay the same for us: dedication, passion and energy."
Some of the show's notable choreographers include senior Bettina James and Tsao herself. James worked on a '50s-themed hip-hop piece inspired by the theme song to "The Pink Panther." SoC fans can look forward to this dance, which Chao describes as "unbelievable."
The spring performance, the final show for the many graduating SoC seniors, is especially meaningful. Said Chao, "There's a real community feel to our show."
Tsao adds, "We have a ton of alumni that come back ... There is no other group that can present this kind of energy. When we go out there, we give 120 percent. We're so excited to perform for the people ... That's what is keeping SoC strong: We want to make ourselves and this campus proud."
Expectations are high for Spirit of Color's final performance of the year. Freshman and SoC enthusiast Monica Malowney shares her excitement about the upcoming show, "I really enjoyed their fall show. I can't wait to see this one, too!"
