This past weekend, you might have heard rich sounds of salsa music flooding South campus. The source? Mayra Valle’s senior thesis, which kicked off three beautiful Palmer performances with an interactive Salsa Casino dance in Castle Court. Ticket holders and passers-by could wander through a sea of vibrantly dressed dancers and become a part of a carefree and feel-good site-specific piece.
The dynamic work of ten other graduating dance majors came to fruition soon after on the Palmer stage, coupled with pieces by guest artists Kyle Abraham and Paul Matteson and Conn’s own Shani Collins-Achille, Kellie Lynch and Derrick Yanford. “Convention,” this year’s Senior Thesis Dance Concert, offered audiences stylistically diverse choreography and a broad spectrum of theme abstraction; some pieces told stories, some held specific symbolism, while others exemplified a whirlwind of nonfigurative movement left open to interpretation.
Not only did each show give viewers an engaging variety of movement qualities and themes, each piece had contrasting images, idiosyncratic quirks and nuanced tones. Shani Collins-Achille’s “Sacred Womb” paired a rich red color palette with a smoky stage, setting up an interesting dichotomy between the power and vibrancy of movement and the mystical quality of the space. Amelia Taterka’s “Almost Alice” invited the audience to enter an eerily childlike world. The choreography was dynamic and precise, but totally void of emotion. And though the dancers were stripped of expression, the strength of this piece lay in the creepy tone they established.
“Esprit de corps,” choreographed by Sierra Adams and Kellie Lynch, set up a similarly stark emotional quality. The dancers, all in black, were minimally lit in simple white light, and completed a series of sharp phrases in perfect unison throughout the piece. They broke off in solos, duets, and trios but never lost their sense of whole. This made the movement powerful and memorable.
Meredith Friedman’s “It’s Up To You To Do The Stitching” expressed a different aesthetic and vibe; eight dancers took the stage in floral dresses, all unzipped – an interesting choreographic choice with a number of personal interpretations. This piece was musically varied as well. It began with a TED talk and advanced into famous tunes by Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke and Otis Redding. This piece struck an emotional chord, but in an unassertive fashion; it successfully exhibited both drive and tenderness.
And there was no shortage of emotion in Jillian Wiseman’s “Love: Once Upon The End,” a string of vignettes that followed four famous historical love stories: Rhett and Scarlett of Gone With The Wind, Hades and Persephone, Johnny Cash and June Carter and the infamous Bonnie and Clyde. The fast-paced storytelling, diversity in song choice and movement quality, and thoughtful use of props made this piece entertaining, smart and engaging.
Though most pieces employed the use of many bodies, Nicole Witko’s senior thesis, choreographed by Derrick Yanford, was a beautiful solo. Witko’s movement and strength was graceful and expressive. Aesthetically, this piece was minimalistic yet unique. Witko danced with a light beam lowered and exposed to the audience. At the end of the piece, the light beam rose, signifying a greater finish. The most stunning image came in the final moments, as Witko, having held up a part of the curtain as the rest fell around her, slowly brought this fabric to the ground in perfect synchronization with a blackout. It presented modest symbolism and simple beauty. Until watching that moment, I had never considered how infrequently dancers interact with the architecture of their dance space.
These works were performed among other beautiful pieces by Marisa Cohen, Carter Goffigon, Imani Louden, Allynn McInerney and Aaron Davis. Both shows closed with an aesthetically stunning work by guest choreographer Kyle Abraham who beautifully reinforced the true range and talent of Connecticut College dancers. These seniors will be greatly missed as they travel out into the world, but what they’ve left on the stage and in the hearts of friends and fellow dancers will always be remembered at Conn. •
