What took place at the D’Motions performance on Friday, March 20, entitled “A Night at D’Movies,” could be classified as a medley of events to say the least.
Nowhere near your typical hosts, the duo of seniors James Eles and Doug Zeppenfeld opened the night by questioning the female group’s choice of garb. They likened the women’s wardrobe and borderline suggestive routine in the opening act to something out of the annual porno that was being featured in Hoyt Auditorium that very same night. Throughout the night, the two never backed down from their hilarious — albeit risqué — hosting style, though they were also unafraid to throw in slapstick sketches to keep the audience smiling.
Eles and Zeppenfeld were an added benefit, but the main attraction more than stood on its own. With elaborate performances that were well thought out and had clearly been rehearsed to no small degree, D’Motions danced to a set list that was packed with artists who seem to rarely be featured in dance routines.
The group made a stomping yard of the stage with their Jay-Z-inspired, gangster-themed “Dirt Off Your Shoulders” performance, and also somehow managed to choreograph a fitting number to the popular, yet rarely danced to, “Love Today,” featuring the characteristic falsetto of British singer-songwriter Mika.
Though the group did feature a number of dances to non-traditional dance artists, D’Motions also used no short supply of run-of-the-mill pop. The songs of typical dance music artists — namely David Guetta, Jason Derulo and the Black Eyed Peas — occupied a bulk of the program, yet even in this category the dance group found a way to keep the audience entertained and the content fresh.
Each rendition had its own flavor, complete with a flashy, diverse wardrobe and an even more varying set of dance moves — no doubt thanks to the astoundingly large list of student choreographers who planned out the evening’s routines.
An exhaustive lineup of other campus performance groups was sprinkled throughout the program, adding the mad beats of the always-impressive UR Hip-Hop group, the international dance flavorings of ROC the Raas and Bhangra, and the long-anticipated return of the rock duo-turned-trio, The Cruisers. Between these ensembles and more, it was hard not to appreciate the overwhelming talent that defines the UR music and dance scene.
By all accounts, “A Night at D’Movies” was a Friday night well spent. Comedy, music and dancing abounded, making for a highly professional, yet low-key performance. Oh, and one can’t forget the presence of SA President junior Scott Strenger, whose visible effort — and, admittedly, impressive ability to mostly keep step with the women of D’Motions — was simply icing on the cake.
Bernstein is a member of the class of 2014.
