Dancing to rap, pop, and every genre in between, Boston College On Tap’s second annual showcase highlighted the talent and versatility of the group.
The Rat was transformed into a theater on April 21 for the evening show, titled It’s Tappening. The stage was surrounded by audience members, and the bright stage lights changed colors to match the moods and songs of the various dances.
It’s Tappening opened with a dance choreographed by Isabella Kelley, MCAS ’25, and Mary Walvoord, MCAS ’26, to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove,” which was an exciting and engaging introduction to the rest of the show. This was followed by Isaac Dunbar’s “Bleach,” choreographed by Audrey Berger, MCAS ’25, and Vanessa Rigoglioso, MCAS ’25.
On Tap’s program featured Lake Street Dive’s cover of “Rich Girl,” choreographed by Emily Murphy, LSEHD ’24, and Alexandra Biddle, MCAS ’24, a preview of a piece that will be performed next week at Dancing with bOp! at the 25h Annual Arts Festival. On Tap showcased clean and synchronized movements in this dance—every dancer looked like they enjoyed performing.
“The most exciting part of the show for me was being able to come together as a whole team and celebrate the amazing year we had together,” said Murphy, who will serve as co-president of On Tap during the 2023–24 school year with Kaylyn Eigen, MCAS ’25.
The members’ joy for dancing and community was evident in all of the dances, especially the rookie dance and the senior dance, as these dances demonstrated the vitality of both the newest members and those who have been with the team throughout their college careers.
Three of the new On Tap freshmen performed “Music for a Sushi Trio,” choreographed by Natalie Gualario, LSEHD ’24, and Moira McDermott, MCAS ’24, to Harry Styles’ “Music for a Sushi Restaurant.” The dance was playful, but also showcased the talent of the youngest and newest members of the group. Each of the three dancers had their own moment onstage, demonstrating the importance of each individual to the team.
The senior dance, choreographed by all of the On Tap seniors, was set to “The Spins” by Mac Miller. “The Spins,” which many consider a classic college song, is often played at parties, so it seemed fitting that the seniors’ celebration of their time at BC and in On Tap would be set to this song.
The energy of the audience was palpable throughout the senior dance. One highlight from the dance was a moment in which all of the dancers lined up in the middle of the stage and spun around one at a time, a nod to the title of the dance.
Another standout dance was “Imma Be” by the Black Eyed Peas, choreographed by Gabriella Ricciardone, LSEHD ’23. The dancers entered under a black light wearing sunglasses that glowed orange. The lights remained dark for the beginning of the song so the dancers’ movements were mainly visible because of their sunglasses, and then they suddenly grew bright as they entered a more explosive section of the dance.
Their taps were skillfully choreographed to come in time with the beat of the music, creating an immersive effect. The interplay between darkness and light continued throughout the song with the light-up sunglasses, and the athleticism of the dancers was only highlighted more so by this lack of light.
The other two performances were a dance to “Secrets” by OneRepublic, choreographed by Ricciardone, in which the sounds of the dancers’ taps expertly lined up with sound of the violin, and “On Tap In Heels: Beyoncé Edition,” choreographed by Gualario and Cynthia Billovits, CSOM ’23, which the emcees explained was about empowerment and women reclaiming their bodies.
On Tap also had a number of guests at their show. The Common Tones of BCsang three pieces throughout the show—Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie,” with soloist Becca Speer, MCAS ’23, Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock,” with soloist Christopher Cheek, MCAS ’25, and Neon Trees’ “Everybody Talks,” with soloist Chuck Bacciocco, MCAS ’26. The Golden Eagles, another BC dance team, also performed a dance to “So Close” by NOTD and Felix Jaehn, featuring a set of kick lines that were reminiscent of those of the Radio City Rockettes.
On Tap’s final guest was Boston University On Tap, who performed a dance called “Buzz Me In.” The six dancers of BU On Tap were quite impressive, and their dance felt like a celebration of friendship with its many partnered and group movements.
On Tap closed out their show with their 2023 Showdown set, with a joyful Super Mario–themed dance, an enthusiastic way to end the genre-blending show.
Correction (5/1/2023, 5:02 p.m.): This article previously stated that The Golden Eagles performed to “Feel So Close” by Calvin Harris. It has been corrected to state that the group performed to “So Close” by NOTD and Felix Jaehn.
