What do you get when you mix bumping music, fun dance moves and an energetic atmosphere? On Thursday in Buckman Theater, a crowd of excited audience members got to find out. Dance Fusion’s inaugural showcase kicked off at 9:00 p.m. and the liveliness didn’t stop until the very end.
The show opened with an introduction from the emcees, who were alumni members of Dance Fusion and immediately got the audience laughing with their jokes. Throughout the show, they asked trivia questions and gave away prizes to whoever got the right answer first. The crowd interaction continued from there, as the Dance Fusion members invited the audience to dance on stage during intermission.
There were 15 dances, which included many different types of songs, from hip-hop and R&B to dubstep. With popular songs such as “I’m Different” by 2 Chainz, “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and “Adorn” by Miguel, it was hard not to sing and dance in the seats. Each dance was different and many of them incorporated lyrics from the song into the choreography.
Many different members of Dance Fusion choreographed each of the dances on their own, making for a unique show. As emcee Christal Perez said, “each choreographer brings their own style to the dances.” There were many surprises throughout the show, like the unexpected tap-dance choreography to the contemporary song, “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and the alumni dance, which consisted of six returning Dance Fusion graduates.
“We were impressed by how smoothly things ran and none of it would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of every person on our team,” senior captain Lauren Kline said.
Admission was a donation of $1 and all proceeds went to the Dizzy Feet Foundation, which helps increase awareness of dance education across the United States. The funds help to provide low-income children with dance education, provide scholarships to students currently studying at dance schools and institutions and works to increase the quality and styles of dance education across the U.S.
The captains, Jackie Martire, Lauren Kline, Nicolette Fanelli, Maggie Wertz and the rest of the Dance Fusion team were very appreciative of everyone who came out and supported them and the Dizzy Feet Foundation for their first annual showcase.
