"I want you to make a circle with your legs like this — so it's like ab−mania," senior Brittany Sloan of the Tufts' dance ensemble Sarabande said. She demonstrated the move to her five proteges lying flat on their backs on the Cohen Auditorium stage. To an audience member of average fitness, the slow and, well, ab−manic move looked excruciating.
Yet the ladies of Sarabande seemed unfazed as they dutifully kicked their legs out into startlingly wide spread−eagles, snapped them back into position and proceeded to imitate the agonizingly controlled circle Sloan drew in the air with her pointed toes. Some even repeated the step afterward, just for fun.
As one of the choreographers for Sarabande's major biannual recital — this semester dubbed "Planes, Trains, and Dancing Girls" and showing tomorrow and Saturday — Sloan is tasked with ensuring the aesthetic perfection of her dance. Happily, she seems almost entirely immune to the stress of pulling the performance together.
"Personally, I'm really excited for the show, because it's the first time I'm choreographing," Sloan said. "It's definitely been a challenge and it's definitely outside my comfort zone, but the girls have been so accommodating and encouraging, and I've loved the process of seeing it all come together. I think it's going to be a blast."
The show's co−producer, junior Toka Beech, is also experiencing the thrill and satisfaction that comes with first−time choreography. When asked what dance she was most excited about, Beech laughed and said she looked forward to her own.
"You have an idea in your head, then you get to play with bodies … and make what's in your head [happen] onstage," she said. "Making something out of nothing is cool."
At the rehearsal, the Sarabande dancers' enthusiasm and optimism seemed right on par with Sloan and Beech's. Sophomore Leah Small, the recital's other co−producer, said she is in six dances. "I'm equally excited about all of them," she said.
The ensemble is performing alongside other dance groups, including Spirit of Color, Tufts Dance Collective, Tufts Tap Ensemble, Pulse and Garba, as well as Brandeis University's Adagio.
Though opening night is tomorrow, Sarabande's dancers appeared untouched by stage fright at practice yesterday. Amid a chorus of giggles and catcalls, they struck a series of wacky splits during their downtime.
"Tech week is a lot of work, but we always find a way to make it fun," sophomore Lauren Miller said.
The girls maintained their carefree confidence when the music came on: Backlit by the wild, colorful glow emanating from the backdrop, they became figures in an old−school iPod commercial, this time with pirouettes and dizzying leaps.
The group's talent is undeniable, but another important component in Sarabande's flair comes from its stylistic diversity. The members, led by their president, senior Molly Schwartz, hail from sundry dance backgrounds, spanning ballet, jazz, modern and tap. "There's a lot of good variety in the pieces. It's not just your straight modern," Beech said.
Audiences should certainly look forward to the harmonious potpourri of music and styles of movement. During their rehearsal, high−energy rock songs, raw acoustic strains, mellow indie tunes and even a feisty salsa number echoed through the auditorium.
Despite the melodic disparity, the Sarabande dancers transitioned seamlessly from one dance to the next, interpreting the music in unexpected but delightful ways.
Willow Smith−style hair whipping might seem at odds with a light, girlish song, but somehow, Beech and Miller made it work. Similarly, the dancers used refined ballet moves to adeptly evoke sex appeal while dancing to the sultry, classic song, "American Woman."
Considering the wide range of music and dance genres in the show, as well as the several new choreographers, Sarabande is decidedly mixing things up for this year's performance.
"Because there are a lot of new choreographers [this] semester, there are a lot of new interpretations and a lot of new voices being heard," Beech said.
She said that, for Sarabande, innovation doesn't come at the price of the ensemble's or the audience's comfort. "This show is very cozy… The best way to describe the dancers [is to] just think of sweaters," she said.
So if the change in seasons is getting you down, snuggle up with Sarabande tomorrow at 9 p.m. or Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are free at the Cohen Box Office with a Tufts ID.
