This past weekend, the Connecticut College Dance Club presented their fall show, It Almost Rhymes. They performed three times over the course of the weekend—Thursday, Friday and Saturday night—under the performance lights in the Myers Dance Studio. The show felt rich with intimacy, emotion and ferocity, but also had distinct moments where the entire audience burst into both laughter and cheers. It consisted of 13 pieces and was broken up into two parts, seven in the first part and six in the second, with over ten choreographers contributing to the performance.
Dance Club co-presidents Erika Martin ’17 and Amy Wasielewski ‘17 (going by the stage name “Amerika,” a combination of Amy and Erika, for the show) introduced the performance to the audience with bright eyes and high spirits. On the inside cover of the brochure, they explained that the title of the show was “a way of uniting an amalgamation of styles, movement and ideas that seem familiar in the world of dance but are also somewhat unrelated, like a poem or a song lyric that doesn’t quite rhyme.” This idea was reflected in the wide range of unique styles presented in each piece. “We had very eclectic pieces that somehow made sense together,” said Wasielewski. “It has been interesting and enjoyable to explore many different artistic processes.”
The pieces for the Dance Club performance were carefully selected from over 20 dances, each one adjudicated by a group of students (both dancers and non-dancers) and one faculty member at the start of the semester. The pieces ranged from emotional works, reminiscent of lyrical dance, to hip-hop, to dance with no music at all. A highlight of the show was the interaction between dancers in every piece—without a doubt there was a close and careful connection between all dancers throughout the performance, reflecting the long hours of rehearsal.
Wasielewski described the lengthy Dance Club process in its entirety:
“The Dance Club process begins very early on in the semester when we gather those interested in choreographing to get a feel for what the show will be like. Shortly after, we hold an audition open to the entire school and those choreographers select their casts and begin working.
“This year, [choreographers] had two weeks to work with their casts before adjudication, which decides which pieces will make it into the final show,” Wasielewski continued.
“Once selected, 13 out of 24 choreographers have three weeks to complete their pieces before tech week begins, and then three nights to perform!”
Meg Robbins ’15 is in her fourth year of dance club, and choreographed the piece “I’ll be ready in five good reasons.” She explained how nice it is to have both dance students and non-dance students be a part of the adjudication process.
Robbins explained that after being in dance club for four years, she could really appreciate how the group as whole grows together each year.
“Dance Club is a really wonderful way for you to grow as a dancer,” Robbins said. “You don’t have to be in the department to participate—it can be anyone—so it’s a wonderful way to meet people that you wouldn’t have met otherwise, and go on the journey as a dancer together.”
Robbins reflected on what it was like to be a freshman on Dance Club and how being involved in different aspects of the show helped her grow.
“As a freshman, you’re part of the stage crew as well as a dancer, so you do everything back stage freshman year, and then you have that understanding of what goes into it for the rest of the year, so it helps you appreciate the process more.”
The amount of time dedicated to the performance as a whole from each dancer is astounding.
“Rehearsals vary from dancer to dancer. At most, dancers were a part of six dances and each choreographer had the opportunity to hold three hours of rehearsal a week,” said Wasielewski. “Most rehearsals for Dance Club occurred during the week between 7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m., and some on Saturdays. It can get a little crazy!”
Because dancers spend so much time collaborating to assemble the collection of pieces, the club’s show is not only a way for dancers to display their skills to the college, but also to get to know each other better.
“Dance Club gives us a chance to work with dancers that we wouldn’t necessarily otherwise dance with in faculty pieces,” Wasielewski said. “Also, we are able to bring in people who dance and choreograph, but are not in the department. As a result, Dance Club has been a way to expand and enrich our community.”
