The Dance Organization of Boston College, also known as DOBC, will open its annual show this weekend! REIGN, the title of this year’s show, will be performed on Thursday, January 30, Friday, January 31, and Saturday, February 1 at 7:30 pm at Robsham Theater. Tickets are now available at Robsham and online for $10. Details regarding REIGN can be found on Facebook.
Alex Lorditch ‘14, the Director of DOBC, is really excited for REIGN. “In the four years that I’ve been in DOBC,” she says, “I can see that we have come so far in terms of artistry and talent, as well as getting closer as a group.” The magnitude of talent will be clearly exhibited by REIGN’s wide selection of dances, performed and choreographed by members of DOBC. The pieces vary in style, and include jazz, lyrical, ballet, pointe, contemporary, tap, and hip hop. The dancers of DOBC know how to do it all! REIGN will also have special guest Fuego del Corazon to light up the stage.
Wondering where the name REIGN came from? Lorditch explains that “one of the ideas behind it is to reflect this growth in the group and how proud we are of it. We have a wide variety of dances in our show this year, and there may or may not be some tributes to JT and Bey…. We also added a boy to our group for the first time in history! He’s great, and has allowed us to try new things creatively that were never possible before.” REIGN will definitely contain multiple surprises and new elements, which will be seen all across the board – choreography, dancers, costumes, and music.
The dancers of DOBC have worked extremely hard this past semester to make REIGN a success. Members of the group put in, on average, between five and ten hours a week simply rehearsing for the show. The officers and choreographers spent extra time choreographing, choosing costumes and lights, and figuring out all of the logistics and smallest details. With so much effort being put into the show, the dancers cannot wait to share REIGN with their audience.
Jenni Mannion ’15, DOBC’s Assistant Director, has been a member of DOBC since her freshman year. Having performed at the organization’s previous shows, she says that this year “has been my most exciting year thus far in DOBC. I could not be more proud and happy with our hard work, dedication, and incredibly fun times this year. I cannot wait to see what we accomplish during this year’s show and beyond!”
Alyssa Rogowski ’17 is one of the new members of DOBC, and REIGN will be her first DOBC show. She’s loved having the chance to continue dancing and meeting new people from different classes, especially students who share her passion for dance. She says that “working with DOBC has been an amazing experience, trying out new choreography as well as having an opportunity to grow technically. Everyone has put in so much work and commitment to every aspect of the show. I am so excited and thankful to take part in the debut of REIGN!”
Although the last show of REIGN will be February 1, that doesn’t mean you have to stop keeping up with DOBC. DOBC is a two-pronged organization; besides the performance group, DOBC also offers two studio classes per week taught by its members. These classes are completely free and open to anyone in the BC community! All levels of dance are welcome. Starting on February 3, classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm at the Brighton Dance Studio. The class styles include ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and tap. To receive weekly studio class schedules, contact Alex Lorditch at lorditch@bc.edu.
I have been extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to dance with DOBC for the past three years. It is definitely a highlight of my time at Boston College! I can confidently tell you that every single one of our dancers is anxiously waiting for the opening night of REIGN! For us, show week is one of the best weeks of the year, and we are so thrilled to share our work and passion for dance with you. However, it does require that we have a large audience supporting us and cheering us on! We’d love nothing more than for you to join us for any of our REIGN performances.
To find out more about DOBC and REIGN, check out DOBC’s website, and follow us on Facebook! We look forward to seeing you at REIGN!
Members of DOBC, 2013-2014