Liquid Latex Recap

On Tuesday, March 19th, Levin Ballroom was filled with a crowd of students excited to see friends perform in the 2013 Liquid Latex Show: Paint Into It’s Innermost Parts. The show opened with a powerful Greek Gods piece.  In order to starting the show off with a strong statement, the performers were painted as Greek Gods, and got the crowd hyped for the upcoming acts by dancing to songs like “Thrift Shop” and “I’m On A Boat.”

Next, Nightmare Before Christmas made its own statement with the eerie lighting, popular songs from the movie, and the magnificent paint. Oogie Boogie’s character was perfect and made the piece shine.  Jack Skeleton’s presence excited the audience after making his grand entrance.  

The pieces that followed set the tone for a diverse and intriguing show that was enjoyed by the entire crowd.  An act called the “demons inside us” presented a lively rendition of the inner battles with which many struggle. Colorful classic candies like M&M’s, skittles and candy dots preformed an active dance routine featuring highly impressive choreography. 

This year’s runway pieces, one displayed different landscapes and another featured various Broadway musicals, amazed the crowd with creative choreography and beautiful paintings covering the models.  Scenic views of mountains and forests came to life on the models as they performed. Highlights of the Broadway runway included beautiful adaptations of Mary Poppins, Wicked, Seussical and Lion King.  The models made their costumes their own in a charismatic and entertaining way. 

This year’s show featured a piece which honored Britney Spears.  The provocative style and painted imitations of a few of Britney’s well-known stage outfits wowed the crowd as the dancers followed detailed choreography much like typical Britney Spears music. The addition of the studs in suits add a new layer on the piece- the crowd went crazy when they performed their solos! 

A hot performance designed by the belly-dancing club set the stage on fire with the beautiful flame designs on the models.  The beautiful lighting and whimsical choreography transformed the audience into a world where the belly dancer’s instruments control the fire. 

With the show every year comes an entertaining piece from the crew team.  This year’s piece, featuring animals mashed up into one transported into space was no exception.  The music and props, including a mass of stuffed animals thrown across the stage, kept the crowd laughing the entire time.  Familiar music like the “Arky Arky Song” sent audience members back to their childhoods in the most unexpected way. 

The closing piece set a more mellow tone as smooth, ethereal choreography amazed the crowd. The students performed a routine that required much strength and coordination- at one point all six dancers balanced in the shape of a fan. Their designs, which incorporated checkerboard patterns and pastel colors, were unique but still unified in a way that mimicked the dance routine itself.  The exact story line behind the piece was slightly obscure, but the piece made a statement and ended the night with a bang.

After weeks of preparation, the final product was a tremendous success.  Featuring a wide variety of bold students and talented painters, the designers’ visions came to life on the stage and few could contest that the 2013 Liquid Latex show was definitely a hit.