Audience seats were filled in Sainer Auditorium on May 3 and 4, as  students spun across the stage for two nights of dance. The Spring 2024 Dance Collective showcase took viewers on a journey through poetic interpretive pieces, colorful Kpop numbers and more. The Catalyst followed the dancers from dress rehearsal to the final curtain call. 

One of the longest-standing student clubs on campus, Dance Collective allows students to choreograph or cover dances to perform each semester. This semester was no different and featured seven pieces, five of which were completely choreographed by students. 

Dress rehearsal is when every student participating in the show gets to see what the other groups had been working on all semester. This is the only time the dancers will get to see the full show, as on the day of, they’ll be tucked away backstage except during their own performances. 

In this production, second-year Darling Gomera-Arias choreographed and taught her first dance to the song “Angels in Tibet” by Amaarae. She described it as being “a combination of moves with modern hip-hop and afro-beat influences.” It was a crowd favorite, and Novos can look forward to seeing more dances by Gomera-Arias in the future. 

Spring productions are always a bit more teary-eyed as thesis students graduate and leave their underclassmen buddies. Second-year Lianna Paton was among those leaving for new paths, making this her last performance. She shared what she’d miss most about her favorite club.

“I really love the whole semester thing of it that doesn’t even get shown or seen to the audience. It’s selfishly for me and I love it because of that. And then the show is also amazing too,” Paton told the Catalyst. 

During opening night, backstage contained the hushed hustle and bustle of dancers marking their routines before going on stage and perhaps agonizing over a perceived mistake after getting off. Distant cheers from the crowd added to the nervous energy. 

Third-year Colin Jefferis was chosen to be one of two new Dance Collective administrators. He told the Catalyst about some of his new responsibilities along with what he hopes to bring to the club in his new leadership position.

“So, what the admins do is they coordinate the showcase, as in coordinating the dancers, the choreographers and reserving the space,” Jefferis explained. “They also help the choreographers in getting resources but also giving them feedback in terms of their dances like what was good about the dances and what maybe could be worked on. 

“As an admin, I want to encourage new people to get involved with pieces by encouraging choreography that’s pretty accessible to people no matter their level of dance. Because I think that’s the important thing about this and that’s what brought me to Dance Collective,” Jefferis continued.

As dancers filed out, bouquets of roses were handed to dancers from loved ones. Exclamations of “Congratulations” and “That was so good” could be heard, along with sighs of relief when hard work pays off. Final group pictures were taken, marking the end of a season. Dance crazes come and go, but Dance Collective will always have a place at New College.