Arts Fest opened up on Thursday with the Dance Showcase and featured various Boston College dance and culture groups. Each presented a short routine, and the event showcased the various styles of dance that contribute to the vibrant arts scene at BC.
Boston College Irish Dance (BCID), which took second place at Showdown this year, was first to perform, setting its number to “Glanfaida Mé” by Kíla. Showing off their expert footwork, the dancers stomped in unison, weaving into different formations with remarkable precision.
The Golden Eagles dance team followed, dancing to “To Build a Home” by the Cinematic Orchestra, presenting a contemporary piece with melodic fluidity. The Golden Eagles formed a long diagonal line across the stage and moved both as a cannon and in unison, with the highlight being a series of fouetté turns that dazzled the crowd. Full Swing brought high energy with a number set to “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes, spinning partners around and doing a series of lifts and balances that elicited both gasps and cheers from the crowd.
Dance Organization of Boston College (DOBC) took to the stage with a number prepared to “London Bridge” by Fergie. The heavy beat filled the tent, as the DOBC dancers performed an attitude-filled hip-hop dance.
BC On Tap brought an impressive tap piece set to “Come Together” by The Beatles, where all the tap dancers clicked their tap shoes in perfect synchrony, with clean taps that escalated in speed as the piece progressed.
Boston College Dance Ensemble (BCDE) brought the funk with their rendition of “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. A sassy and flirty number, BCDE dancers whipped their hair and blew kisses at the crowd, with the dance reaching a climax when all the dancers dropped into side-splits, showing off their skill and flexibility.
Synergy performed “Choose Your Own Syn-venture,” the same routine it rolled out at Showdown, where the dancers choreographed a choose-your-own-adventure-style number in which the narrator told a story where the audience could fill in the blanks—allowing them to choose between actions, such as fighting or fleeing from a lion. Synergy’s hip-hop dancing was clean and precise, with strong swagger and energy behind all their movements. The dance group elicited shouts from the crowd, which enjoyed participating in the piece.
Finally, the Hellenic Society of BC performed a Greek folk dance showcase to round out the first performances on the Arts Fest stage. Showcasing three styles of traditional Greek dance, the performers entered the stage holding hands and stepping to “Ego O Xenos” by Stratos Dionisiou, weaving in and around each other. They then transitioned to “Den Thelo Tetious Filous” by Natassa Theodoridou, where the members of the dance group formed a half circle, and individual members stepped in the middle as their fellow dancers and the audience clapped and cheered. The third dance was to “Pentozalia / Otan Eskeftike O Theos” by Nikos Zoidakis and featured the dancers showing off their expert footwork in two lines, separated by gender and alternating dancing at the front and back of the stage.
Featured Image by Maggie DiPatri / Heights Editor
