Ballet Performance Group performed its spring showcase “Unafraid” this past Friday. Though the group’s true mission, included in its name, is to keep classical ballet alive on campus, its members are more than willing to venture into various genres of dance, something that continued in “Unafraid.”
Some of the women performed classical ballet pieces to music by Aram Khachaturian from the “Masquerade Suite.” Watching these pieces made me appreciate keeping ballet alive on campus especially since I used to perform classical ballet pieces myself.
Other dancers tackled different genres — jazz, lyrical, and tap — which were all presented wonderfully in this show. “I Got Rhythm,” choreographed by sophomore Jessica Robbins, made me fall in love with tap all over again. Tap is a fun and synchronized form of dance that, when done right, puts a smile on your face and makes you want to get up and dance with its performers; that piece, along with “Runaway Baby,” choreographed by junior Hannah Tompkins, did exactly that. Another nontraditional piece that captured the audience was “Express,” choreographed by senior Abbi Bruce, which was as sassy and striking as you would wish a jazz routine to be.
As an interlude to the performance, BPG invited third- and fourth-graders from Rochester City School District School 23 on stage, who put on an impressive and adorable performance that wowed the audience. Choreographed by junior Alana McGovern, the children’s performance to “Brave” was a wonderful interlude within the show. Also choreographed by McGovern, “Rise Up” was one of my favorite pieces due to its lyrical portrayal of the song and all the struggles experienced with it.
As almost a side-note, I also found the outfits chosen for the performances memorable — they did a decent job of furthering the mood of each piece. The lighting and backgrounds heightened each piece and drew you into another world. Staggering from group dances to solos, from songs with heavy and sad messages to upbeat and happy messages, the show was a rollercoaster of emotion and talent.
ne thing in all these enjoyable pieces had in common was an appreciation for dance. The love put into the choreography and the love for dance in general shown by every dancer was evident in this large showcase. It is difficult to find a group of people that are all at the same level of dance skill, and that this group put on a show that embraced its members’ varying levels of experience was remarkable and inspiring.
