SRU Dance Club Tears Up the Stage

By: Kristen Tomaiolo
Posted In: Entertainment

One man and 109 women tore up the stage Saturday and Sunday at Salve Regina University’s fall dance performance titled “Tearin’ Up.” Both shows took place in Rodgers Recreation Center, where dancers danced on a wooden stage in the gym.

On Saturday night, people had the “Pay What You Can” option, or could bring a canned good for charity. On Sunday afternoon, admission was $5. Over 600 people attended the two performances.

The show had two acts: 26 dances with a 15-minute intermission. It was hosted by senior, Kate Grenci. Saturday night’s show opened with junior Jessica Sorcelli, singing the national anthem. Salve senior Kerry DiGiovanni sang at Sunday afternoon’s performance. The dance club’s performances delivered a wide range of dance styles including tap, jazz, ballet, point, lyrical, hip-hop and Irish-step. Music ranged from “Black and White” by Michael Jackson, to “Hurt” by Christina Aguilera, “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor to a Queen montage. The show consisted of works created by over 20 student choreographers.

The second performance in Act I was introduced by the club’s junior co-captain Justine Tomon. Tomon explained to the audience that the next number “Perfect Lie”, which she danced in, was a dance developed in a choreography course offered by the theater department taught by instructor Lindsay Craven. The students, Kelley Hood, Megan Kolakowski, Lisa Maniscalco, Briana Scafidi, Erin Vardaro and Tomon all came from different dancing backgrounds, and specialize in different dancing styles. Tomon stressed that getting the six girls to agree on choreography for the dance was a challenge. Judging the audience’s response, their lessons in choreography paid off.

A highlight of Act I was “Reels.” This Irish-step dance included 18 girls and one freshman, Chris Wester, who is the first man to dance in the dance club. The beat of the music and tapping of the dancers’ feet got the audience clapping and involved with the performance.

Act II began with 11 girls walking down the aisles with top hats and canes dancing to music from from Fosse and Chicago. A highlight of Act II was the performance, “A Night at the Movies,” choreographed by junior Amanda Cuda. The 11 girls dressed like characters from the Wizard of OZ, Mission Impossible, Pretty Woman, Ghostbusters, and Grease while dancing to musical selections from the films.

In the performance “Come to Me,” choreographed by senior co-captain Nicole Giusti, dancers mimicked dance moves from singer Beyonce Knowles’s award show performance. The dances moves resembled those of starting a car with sound effects to match. The audience filled with laughter, screams and applause at the girls’ moves.

The show ended with Grenci introducing each class from freshman to seniors. Each class bowed and received a round of applause from the audience. Following, the club’s executive board was introduced: senior co-captains Amanda Graves and Nicole Giusti, who scheduled the shows and reserved dance studio times, junior co-captains Justine Tomon and Lisa Maniscalco, in charge of costumes, business manager Megan Kolakowski, who booked the lights, stage and chairs for the performances, and public relations director Aimee Horgand who raised awareness of the show and club.

“We all share something in common,” Tomon said. “Well all express ourselves through dance and we all love the sport. It’s great to still be at school, while simultaneously feeling like you’ve escaped it.”

“The show was well put together,” said sophomore Amanda Gallo.

“I really enjoyed the show and everyone did really well,” said junior Lindsay Delbonis. “I know all the hard work that went into it (because I am) rooming with two of the dancers.”

Listening to the applause after the hour and a half performance, the show was a success.
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Tryouts for next semester’s show will be the first weekend after winter break on Monday January 22, 2007 at 2 p.m in the Rodgers Recreation Center aerobics room. The tryouts start with a warm-up session followed by two to three hours of auditions. The auditions decide what dances and levels dancers are in. No one is cut.

The biggest challenge for the dancers is their club status. Being a club and not a team, the scheduled times for practice and rehearsals sometimes cause the team to end as late as 12:15 a.m. However, this may change.

Salve Regina University may have its own dance company this spring semester. Craven, choreographer and instructor of dance minors at Salve Regina, and who also has a MFA in Dance from the University of Arizona, proposed the idea of a dance company to Pat Hawkridge, chair of the Theatre Department. The two agreed a dance company is a goal for the department. Hawridge arranged it so Craven would be hired as the artistic director of the dance company.

“The dancers that put their time into a dance minor deserve a performance outlet that is backed by academics,” said Craven. “They need a place to grow as dancers and choreographers by working with outside choreographers in a mature and organized environment.”

Craven feels that a presence of a dance company is necessary for the university in addition to the established dance club because both cater to different desires and levels of commitment.

The company will consist of 12-15 more advanced dancers who are willing to commit to a full semester of dancing. The dancers may be able to receive academic credit for participation in the company. Auditions and performances will be at the same time as the dance club and participants of the dance company will be able to be in the club as well. The company may do extra performances outside the traditional biannual performances the dance club puts on.

Craven, select student choreographers and potential outside choreographers will instruct the dance company. The company will perform multiple genres.

“The company is important to Salve overall because dancers who seek out a school with a Dance Minor will be more inclined to attend a school with a company,” said Craven. “Dance is something that is human nature and no one should ever be discouraged from dancing.”