Reign, presented in Robsham this weekend, featured 23 crowd-pleasing performances choreographed by over 15 of DOBC’s choreographers.
After being advertised around campus all week-on posters, cards, and by the dancers themselves-Reign, presented by Dance Organization of Boston College (DOBC), proved worthy of all of the hype. The show included a great diversity of dance, music, and costumes, not to mention two spicy performances by BC dance group Fuego del Corazon. Number after number, the dancers of DOBC dazzled on stage and left the crowd entertained throughout the entire two-hour show.
Reignfeatured 23 crowd-pleasing performances choreographed by over 15 of DOBC’s choreographers. The styles included tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop, all interspersed throughout the night, and each dance managed to stand out as unique from the others. Alex Lorditch, DOBC’s director and A&S ’14, described Reign as “our uninhibited selves and the culmination of our creative collaboration.” The creativity of all of the members of DOBC is indeed what stood out most about the show. The choreographers ranged in class year and-as dancers themselves-plenty of heart and careful design could be seen in the execution of each number.
Reignbegan with a spirited dance to an a cappella version of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” choreographed by the officers of DOBC and performed by all of DOBC’s talented choreographers-most of whom have been dancing since childhood. The rest of the performances from the first half varied greatly, ranging from sultry and graceful to intricately detailed. It featured everything from a meticulously executed “Young and Beautiful,” choreographed by Abby Chaffer, LSOE ’16, to an upbeat tap routine set to Phillip Phillips’ “Gone, Gone, Gone,” choreographed by Kiera O’Dwyer, A&S ’14.
The first half of the performances also included a thumping, energetic dance to the tune of Disclosure’s “Latch” (feat. Sam Smith) choreographed by Nan Localio, A&S ’14, followed by a beautifully delicate dance to Passenger’s “Let Her Go,” choreographed by Brianna Dougherty, A&S ’14.
Reignfeatured an eclectic soundtrack, including songs old and new, some popular and others less mainstream. Going for a more classic appeal, Caitlin Rixey, A&S ’15, choreographed a smooth, mellow routine to the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and Jenni Mannion, CSOM ’15, put together a fun, fast-paced dance to Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.” As for more current sounds, the dancers ended the first half of the show with a routine by Dougherty and Taylor Ross, both A&S ’14, titled “Justified”-the performance was set to a compilation of Justin Timberlake’s music, featuring “Senorita,” “Rock Your Body,” and “My Love.” The jazzy, contemporary performance featured Andrew Troum, A&S ’16, and a number of the female dancers from DOBC.
Mixed with the more modern routines were two classical numbers. “Be Kind,” choreographed by Lorditch, featured the soothing instrumentals of composer Max Richter’s “Infra 5.” Dancers travelled fluidly across the stage in long, flowing dresses, creating an eerie feeling throughout the number. Lorditch paired the performance with projections, one quote reading: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Nadya Karpova, A&S ’15, contributed another instrumental routine, titled “Inspired,” featuring “Winter” from Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The dance moved more quickly, and the message was more uplifting for this routine. These two instrumental routines allowed for the dancers a lyrical role in the performance, and they shone brilliantly through the music.
Of course, two of the most vivacious performances of the night came from Fuego del Corazon-BC’s Latin Dance Team. The group’s two numbers-“Magalenha” and “Amor y Pasion”-featured the music of Don Omar, Juan Luis Guerra, Daddy Yankee, and Proyecto Gotan, and they were packed with sensual partner routines and fast-paced steps.
The eclectic vibes of act two led up to a finale featuring the entirety of DOBC. “A Tribute to Queen Bey” was choreographed by the officers of the organization, and paid tribute to the songs and styles of Beyonce, with takes from across her career, including “Halo” and “***Flawless.” The performance also payed tribute to the contributions of the four class years represented in DOBC dancers. The freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes were each given an individual song and stage time in the final dance. This last performance, appropriately titled “Reign,” lent itself well to showing the specific capabilities of dancers at all levels of the organization-many of whom were involved in multiple of Reign’s routines. This final number honored the hard work put into Reign, and made it clear that without the whole of DOBC, the entire night wouldn’t be possible.
