BCDE Heats Up the Stage with “Fever”

On March 14, Boston College Dance Ensemble (BCDE) presented the opening night of its annual spring show. This year’s performance, titled “Fever,” was a celebration of the teams’ infectious passion and commitment.

Bold silhouettes and bright colors painted the stage as the dancers performed a variety of songs and mashups. The opening act to “Fever” by Peggy Lee featured sinuous movements and charisma, opening the show with a bang. 

The crowd fed off the dancers’ energy as they cheered on their friends and family throughout the show. The joyous name calling and celebration during the show expressed appreciation for  the great amount of work the team put into creating an engaging and special program. 

BCDE is one of many student-run dance organizations on campus. The group of dancers share their passion for movement across all styles of dance, but also benefit the wider community. All ticket proceeds from its events are donated to the Campus School at BC, a special education program. 

The first act closed with a dynamic routine choreographed by Shelby Colvin, MCAS ’25, Emme DeVito, MCAS ’24, Maddy Jones, MCAS ’24, and Kristi Liivak, MCAS ’24. The group blended pop hits with black sparkly costumes, as members made complex formations on stage and drew in the crowd.

The show featured two guest performances by fellow campus dance groups Phaymus and Synergy. Phaymus performed a lively hip-hop routine with glittering costumes before Synergy took the stage in matching sweatshirts. 

They performed a routine to “Kill the Lights” by Alex Newell, Jess Glynne, and DJ Cassidy and “Monster” by Kanye West. The love for BC’s dance community was evident throughout this joint performance. The three different groups showcasing their unique movement styles brought diversity and different interpretations to the art, a reflection of the varying talent on campus.

The diverse dance backgrounds of the BCDE dancers themselves in ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, tap, and jazz created a beautiful combination for the group’s dynamic. The use of spotlights and pirouettes in delicate drapey costumes created interesting visual effects, further highlighted by the group’s catchy music choices.

DeVito, Colvin, and Maria Wills, MCAS ’25, choreographed a lively tap routine to “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder. It was followed by an exciting rendition of “CIRCUS MAXIMUS” by Travis Scott,  a hip-hop routine choreographed by Jones. These routines showcased the group’s complex and assorted dance styles.

The show featured videos from each class of dancers in the ensemble in which they thanked their audience and supporters for coming to see their work. The senior class began its BC experience amid the pandemic, and formed tight-knit bonds through dance and its shared passion for it. 

The show ended with a heartfelt mashup of archive dances done by the senior class. The seniors performed bits from their favorite dances over their four years on the team, highlighting their experience as part of BCDE. The show made evident the “fever” this group has for expression, precision, rhythmic movements, and most of all, each other.