MCLA Beacon Online

By Chris Bransfield

A&E writer

Last Saturday Kat Sanford and Jamal Ahamad introduced the last Dance Company performance of the year. The Co-Presidents have both been involved with Dance Company for four years and eight shows, and Saturday they boasted that this year’s was the best show they’d been a part of.

Then they left the audience in the hands of the MCs Connor Maroney and Ben Lehey, whose whacky antics, unique “Fact Jams” and unforgettable costumes kept the audience entertained and informed between dances.Senior Rachel Seklecki said, “The lighting was excellent. My favorite dance was Laura (Gibson’s) Moulin Rouge.

That one was very well done.”The pieces showed the hard work and effort of MCLA’s choreographers, and the lighting on the MASS MoCA stage made some of the stand out pieces look stunning. The belly dancing number mixed urban sounds and moves with the tradition of belly dancing, and Jamal Ahamad’s “I <3 Robots” entertained with mad scientists, hip hop and of course those pesky robots.

The premise seemed to be a real crowd pleaser. Students were very enthusiastic before the piece, shooting out loud whoops of support to their favorite dancers.The provocative and precise moves of Eric Edmond’s “Vogue Wars” also earned its fair share of excited catcalls and loud praise.

The shiny costumes and suggestive choreography made it a lot of fun to watch as the dancers battled to outdo one another’s vogue moves. Senior Daniel Cullinane thought the show had its ups and downs, saying, “I was a little more interested in the second half. It sounded like the speakers were burnt out though.” He went on to say, “My favorite was Kat Sanford’s [and Jamal Ahamad’s] piece with the cupids (Oh So Quiet). That had good choreography.”

Some stood out more than others, like “Anxious Again,” which was a tribute to those who suffer mental anxieties but still get out of bed every morning to face the day. It was a slow moving piece, but very gripping. Robyn Warfield’s lighting design made it all the more moving, as the multi colored lights poured onto the dancers white costumes and set the mood nicely. “Oh So Quiet,” a piece choreographed by Sanford and Ahamad, was about cupids bringing statues to life, and involved interesting toga costumes and bouts of wild dancing when the Greek “statues” came to life. Before the show Sanford described the style of the piece as a “Swing Ballet.”

The night was a highly entertaining opportunity for the MCLA Dance Company to show off the fruits of its hard work and it all came together nicely. Every dance conveyed a different theme and showed the effort and passion for dance of its choreographer.

The varying subjects and styles of the dances showcased Dance Company’s diversity. The varied costumes made the finale, which included all of the company, look wild and exciting. It was like the dancers had been gathered from various places in time and space. The quick dance to Fatboy Slim brought everything to close nicely.