This year’s week-long arts fest culminated in a special Saturday night on which an eager crowd was treated to Dancing With bOp! While BC bOp! is fantastic on its own, this event saw them combine with Boston College’s equally impressive dance groups.
The evening opened with a strong instrumental set from the big band, whose billowing trumpets and jazzy saxophone gave the audience a hint of what was in store.
The first dance team to take the stage was UPrising. Clad in red and black, the group gave a rendition of their spooky ALC Showdown set. With captivating flips and cartwheels, their energetic movement under flickering lights was the perfect start to the night.
They were followed by Full Swing, who performed to a wonderful bOp! rendition of “Copacabana (At the Copa)” by Barry Manilow. Dressed in Hawaiian shirts, the group’s tropical twirling was heartwarming.
A musical interlude came after, in which the full range of vocalists performed the cheery “Smack Dab in the Middle” by Ry Cooder alongside the big band. The singing varied from the full chorale to solo, and there was an impressive solo from the saxophonist.
Next was a return to dance with the introduction of Fuego del Corazón. Fuego danced to a medley of traditional Latin songs with various tempos, in which the vocalists demonstrated their range, switching languages. Their performance was fiery, as always, and the dancing grew in intensity throughout.
The Golden Eagles followed, dancing to bOp!’s “This Will Be” by Natalie Cole. Dressed in maroon, a flurry of swooping movement and synchronous high kicks dazzled the crowd. A dance through the audience, in the aisles, was a highlight of the performance.
The audience was then treated to another solely musical performance. The big band performed “Late in the Evening” by Paul Simon, receiving hearty applause.
The Dance Organization of BC was the next dance team to perform. The white button-downs, which covered their all black attire, were cast aside as the dancing progressed. Dancing to “Mind Over Matter” by Young the Giant, the set was sweeping and graceful.
AEROdynamiK followed, dressed in oversized football jerseys reminiscent of the early 2000s. Their hip-hop style was as energetic and smooth as always. Dancing to a medley of hip-hop classics, the audience was treated to bOp!’s renditions of classics such as Bruno Mars’ “Treasure.”
Next was another purely musical interlude from bOp!. This time, the group’s female vocalists were highlighted as they performed “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” by Sting—the audience clapped along in unison.
BC Dance Ensemble followed, performing a well-choreographed set made even more impressive by the large number of dancers on stage. The winners of this year’s ALC Showdown danced with confidence, spinning across the stage with ease.
The penultimate dance group was BC Irish Dance. The group meshed traditional Irish dance with ’90s hip-hop, dancing to “Jump Around” by House of Pain. This once again showed bOp!’s versatility, as a member of the band took to rapping each verse of the song.
Finally, On Tap closed out the evening’s dance performances, tapping along to “Another Day of Sun” from 2016’s La La Land. Dressed in bright early-20th-century sundresses, their performance was imbued with a sense of summer joy.
Then, before bOp!’s finale, Angus Williams, MCAS ’25, stage name CARAMEL, performed an original song, “Nameless.” Opening with a saxophone solo, the performance also included the full range of vocalists, the big band, a string quartet, an acoustic bass, and a flute. As always, Williams was performatively engaging, bringing energy and a clear passion. It was an incredible display of musical ability on all fronts, and the harmony between instrumentalists left the audience awestruck.
The evening reached its pinnacle with the final exclusively bOp! performance. The group gave a thrilling rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary,” which included an electric guitar solo and powerful vocals. As the night came to a close, bOp! and each dance team bowed, while receiving a standing ovation from a crowd full of smiling faces.
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