Sections

Hard work shines in BFA concert

Friday night's bachelor's of fine arts / bachelor's of dance arts thesis concert showcased the abilities of four graduating seniors. In seven widely varied works, each student demonstrated their choreographic and performance abilities.

The concert both commenced and concluded with works by Sarah Van't Hul. The aggressive lyricism of her solo performance, "Carry On," was a high point of the evening. Danced to Cassandra Wilson's "Come on in my Kitchen," Van't Hul's dedicated aestheticism and strong commitment to her own way of moving captivated the audience. The piece seemed to be inviting the viewer into the performer's private world; it was the opportunity to glimpse her as if she were dancing around her home unseen and uninhibited.

The choreography for this piece revealed Van't Hul's quirky elegance. Aggressive, kinetic and individualistic, her movement style contrasted sharp changes of direction and sensual releases to gravity; it emphasized her physicality and grace. Highlighting Van't Hul's physicality and muscle tone, the work reflected a positive body image, without being unnecessarily sexual. "Carry On" was a true expression of the choreographer's nature and could not have been created or performed by anyone else.

With music that varied from the James Bond theme to the music of Duke Ellington and Tom Waits, Van't Hul also premiered "Caravan." Performed by six female dancers who traveled through time and space as if the audience were channel surfing, Van't Hul's tongue-in-cheek rendition of '70s television violence became surprisingly appealing and persuasive in this work. Each channel revealed the same cast of characters in slightly different scenarios that shared the common themes of crime, sexuality and women with guns. "Caravan" highlighted the technical abilities of the dancers and drew upon their acting skills, seductiveness and individuality as performers.

The concert included Carina Lucero's solo performance, "Journey," which showcased the dancer's strength and commitment to performance. It was interesting to watch this solo with the knowledge that the dancer was performing a work that had been created by her father and mentor, and that she intends to follow in his footsteps.

Lena Iglesias presented two consecutive duets that were performed with dancer Tim Smola. Although the development of "One Day" was disjointed, Iglesias came back after the intermission with a much more fulfilling and thoughtful "Deep Blues." The performance energy for both pieces was high. Combined with demanding choreography and seductive mood, the furious, swirling partnering between Iglesias and Smola in "Deep Blues" left both the dancers and the audience panting.

The evening also included a trio choreographed by Stephanie Short titled "Just a Peek Of ... ," a sleepy tribute to Short's relationship with her brother that was performed to the music of Enya.

Truly, this evening was a successful tribute to the abilities and hard work of these dance students.