BC’s annual Arts Fest brought in a packed crowd for its dance showcase on Friday evening. Although not all BC’s beloved dance groups performed, the anticipation was still extremely high. An elevated stage with a black and white flower background and colorful lights further built the expectation of an entertaining show for audience members.
The Golden Eagles opened the show with a lively performance to Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be.” The group performed in maroon costumes, showcasing their trademark leaps and skillful pirouettes. The group ended with a double kickline, which was met with cheers from the crowd.
Fuego del Corazón came on next, performing the same set and story as they did for ALC Showdown. The group performed various types of Latin dance, showcasing their style in coordinated red and black outfits. Most impressive was when they elevated a dancer by her feet and tossed her in an artful arc.
Then Full Swing took the stage to the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song. The dancers wore matching yellow collared shirts, red ties, and khakis to embody the character for two more SpongeBob songs. Most awe-inspiring was when dancers swung their partners by an arm and a leg.
Up next was BC On Tap, which performed in all white to the Lumineers’ “Cleopatra.” Despite the group’s large formation, they were in sync for the entirety of their set. The steady beat of “Cleopatra” proved perfect for tapping along to.
Keeping the same upbeat energy, BC Dance Ensemble, this year’s Showdown winners, performed to Heart’s “Barracuda.” They wore maroon outfits and danced under red and pink lights, matching the song’s sensual undertones.
After came a performance from a group not usually present at these showcases: Dance for Musicals I. This “group” is actually a class, filled with dancers ranging from beginners to more experienced. The group started with Wicked’s “Dancing through Life” before transitioning to Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra.” A smaller group for this song, they kept up the energy before Chicago’s “Nowadays / Hot Honey Rag” came on, and the rest of the dancers rejoined.
The next performance was a tad slower but just as entertaining. BC Irish Dance (BCID) danced to “Day One” by Rura. Wearing maroon velvet dresses, the group delivered in their set with a hypnotic style. A few standout moments included four rounds of high kicks and a period of synchronized dancing in duos.
After BCID, BC on Tap took the stage for the second time. The group performed in pastel hoodies to Harry Styles’ “Lights Up.” A spirited song that matches the recent spring weather on campus, the group put on a slower-paced performance than its first dance.
Much to the crowd’s delight, Synergy then performed their Michael Jackson routine from this year’s Showdown. The group wore matching black suits, sparkly gloves, and hats. Their rhythmic performance featured well-known songs like “Smooth Criminal” and “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough.”
Dance Organization of BC performed to Patrick Watson’s “Je te laisserai des mots” in a more relaxed set than Synergy. The dancers wore all black, and, despite being slower, the group’s graceful movements kept the audience interested.
Next, Full Swing performed to Boney M’s “Rasputin”—the group wore stereotypical Russian garb. This set consisted of the usual swing dance moves with a variation of the Rasputin dance mixed in, much to the audience’s delight.
Following Full Swing, the Golden Eagles performed again, dancing to a much slower song—“Undertow” by Ane Brun—in blank tanks and long white skirts. The elegant performance had its most impressive moment when the song crescendoed, and one dancer jumped into the arms of the rest of the group before being lifted.
A Dance for Musicals class then came onto the stage for the second time that night. Dressed in all black and armed with prop cell bars, they embodied the characters of Chicago’s “Cell Block Tango.” Their dance ended with the main dancer “killing” the only male dancer, following the song’s plot.
The penultimate group to take the stage was Kpop Dance Crew. A small number of dancers first took the stage to Katseye’s “Debut” before more dancers flooded the stage for a dramatic performance to songs like Aespa’s “Drama” and Blackpink’s “Venom.
Closing the show was Masti, putting on the same performance it did at Showdown. The group’s energetic and powerful story of a wrestler having his title stripped because of his caste enthralled the audience. The energy was high as they performed elaborate fight scenes and dances to remixed songs like “Big Dawgs” and “Sulthana.” Masti, the winner of Crowd Choice at Showdown, was the perfect ending to this year’s Arts Fest dance showcase.
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