High school graduation can mark the end of a lot of recreational dancers’ careers. Once so dedicatedly attended, ballet classes fall to the wayside as college courses and “real life” begin to dominate schedules. And you can just forget those eagerly-awaited end of the year recitals. But dance enthusiasts have no need to search further for a new creative outlet.
BU’s Dance Theater Group (DTG), HC BU’s current collective celebrity, gives collegiate dancers the opportunity to experience all aspects of dance: exploring new dance styles, choreographing and performing.
“I wanted to keep dancing, because I love it,” says CAS junior and DTG member Julianne Richard. A long-time dancer, Richard stumbled upon DTG’s website as a freshman and has been a member ever since.
Open to first-timers as well, DTG combines weekly “master classes” taught by guest instructors (previous classes have included Irish step dance, break dancing, hula and Bollywood dance), with preparation for a member-choreographed dance concert at the end of each semester.
At the start of a new semester, DTG members may choose to simply attend the master classes, or to audition for the dance pieces as well. Once each choreographer has selected dancers, the rehearsing process begins. Helped along by several showings, at which the pieces are critiqued by three faculty advisors, the dances evolve into performance-worthy works. But don’t expect to see any of the same ol’ boring routines.
Richard recalls a memorable dance piece she performed, which was inspired by the concept of an airport waiting room: “I was supposed to be a confused tourist with a fanny pack and a red Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops.”
Juliana Reinold, a Sargent junior, says she has been a part of many memorable dances, but will never forget the time a faculty advisor, upon seeing a particular piece performed, claimed to feel like he was “eating cheesecake with his wife.” Must have been an impressive performance!
Reinold joined DTG in pursuit of such an enthusiastic audience. “I wanted the opportunity to perform every semester,” she says.
Alexi Warren, a CAS sophomore, is equally excited for the semester performance. As a first-time choreographer for DTG she says she is “looking to bring some fun to the stage.”
All the time spent in rehearsal and in exploring new dance styles also lets dancers bond. “One of my favorite parts of DTG is all the cool new people I get to meet,” says Warren.
DTG will hold its Spring 2011 concert at FitRec on April 15th and 16th. Open to the public, the concert provides the chance for both prospective DTG members and those who simply enjoy dance to experience the result of a semester of hard work. Never without excitement, each semester show promises a unique collection of work that illustrates the love of dance. And, ultimately, that is exactly what DTG is about.