"Oh my God, you guys, we look so good," freshman Ani Loshkajian said to her fellow Sarabande dancers. Loshkajian had just finished filming one of the dance group's pieces from their biannual show, entitled this semester "Set Fire to the Rain." She ran over to the rest of the girls, who were either still on stage or in small groups on the floor ready to start their pieces and began chatting excitedly.
Watching the girls cluster together, an outsider gets a sense of ordinary college-girl camaraderie. But the girls transform into something extraordinary when they take to the stage, twisting their bodies to the different strains of artists like Jónsi, Nelly and even Florence + The Machine.
Loshkajian, who is also producing the show, and her co-producer Leah Small, a sophomore, are tasked with putting together this semester's Sarabande show, which is comprised of 10 dances, seven senior solos and features performances by guest groups, including Bhangra, Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) and Tufts Tap Ensemble.
President Molly Schwartz, a senior, is choreographing both a dance and a senior solo. "I'm actually a little bit nervous," she said. "I think solos are great because we get to fully express ourselves through dance more than we do through other people's choreography styles."
Although 11 different dancers choreographed the various parts of the show, the pieces are united by a similarity in dance styles. "The show is mostly modern with a lyrical base, although we have ballet this year," Schwartz said.
"This semester is a little different than years before because most of the girls are trained in similar styles, whereas previously, girls came from more varied backgrounds," junior Christina Aguirre said.
In addition to pieces choreographed by more seasoned seniors and juniors, this show also features two pieces put together by freshmen Yessenia Rivas and Emily Durning. Durning's piece is about dance and the freedom of expression it offers. "It isn't anyone's spotlight. It is about sharing and being together," freshman Lauren Harris said.
Rivas' piece, which features five male dancers from Spirit of Color, is about five relationships that are breaking up and the frustration each girl feels.
"I've choreographed before in high school," Rivas said. "But here, I was given so much freedom. It is nerve wracking, though, to know that my dance will be shown right next to [Schwartz's] and the other seniors'."
Every member of Sarabande performs in multiple dances, with each piece featuring about eight to 10 dancers. Although there is no overall theme to the show, many of the dances possess a special meaning to the dancers.
"We don't have any particular theme, but something all the dances have in common is that every choreographer has stretched themselves to the fullest and so has every dancer," Schwartz said.
Many of the girls are especially excited for the All-Sarabande dance, choreographed this semester by senior Alyza Delpan-Monley. The piece examines the meaning of home to each of the dancers and what it means to be at home and leave it as well. This dance is a complete deviation from the lighter, '80s-themed "Call on Me" finale of last semester's Sarabande show.
Delpan-Monley's piece drives home the realization that this is the final show for Sarabande's seniors. "I'm going to miss the seniors so much. I can't imagine Sarabande without them. But with [Delpan-Monley's] dance, it's made me realize how strange it will be to not see them next year," Rivas said.
The group held auditions at the beginning of the spring semester but did not take anyone new. Schwartz notes that the goal for next year would be to get enough girls to keep the group size (18 dancers, not counting students abroad) the same, but if not, she believes the enthusiasm of the remaining dancers will be enough to sustain the group.
Considering the energy and excitement that permeated the rehearsal, this should not be a problem for Sarabande next year. "I just love them all so much. Every day I walk into rehearsal thinking, I'm so excited to do all the dances," Schwartz said.
So to say goodbye to the graduating seniors or to cheer on the rising underclassmen, come to the Sarabande show tonight at 9 p.m. or Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are free at the Balch Arena Box Office with a Tufts ID.
