'Works in Progress' dazzles audience with various dances
Elan Lopez
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Entertainment
Rio Hondo students participated in a dance concert over the weekend entitled "Works in Progress", a student driven choreographic showcase.
All of the dances performed were a culmination of the last ten weeks of the ballet and rehearsal dance classes featuring performances in the genres of ballet, hip-hop, contemporary dance and jazz.
Dance faculty member, Rachel Lopez, who choreographed one of the dances, said that many of the students were nervous on opening night because it was their first time dancing in front of a live audience.
Rio's Dance Director, Alyson Cartagena, adds "It is not about being perfect but challenging ourselves to try new things."
Opening the show was "Swan Lake Village", an up beat, fun, ballet number choreographed by Cartagena. The dancers were light on their feet expressing beautiful pirouettes and grand jetés.
Diana Sherwood was the choreographer behind the next number, "Samba Rio", which was full of surprises.
It started with a colorful Brazilian drumbeat and quickly transitioned to a lively Samba with heavy percussion.
My favorite part of the performance was when the dancers broke out of the Brazilian jig into an intense step squad.
Rosemary Chavez followed with a modern dance that she choreographed and performed it to an instrumental version of Evanescence's "My Immortal".
Rachel Lopez's dance, "Discipline", included a fun mixture of groovy hand signals, high kicks, and a vivid use of color.
A parental advisory warning for one of the dances was somewhat unexpected, but considering that the content for that number was about a woman's cycle, it seemed necessary.
On a somber note, Melissa Flores choreographed and performed "Denial, Anger, and Acceptance" as a tribute to her late father.
She captured strong emotion through every dance step causing some members in the audience to wipe away some of their tears.
The final number was performed to the electro-pop song "Black and Gold" by Sam Sparro.
It was definitely a high-energy number that looked incredibly fun to be a part of.
All of the dancers demonstrated hard work and effort, but most importantly, they showed that they are not afraid to try new things, even if that means dancing their bottom off.
All of the dances performed were a culmination of the last ten weeks of the ballet and rehearsal dance classes featuring performances in the genres of ballet, hip-hop, contemporary dance and jazz.
Dance faculty member, Rachel Lopez, who choreographed one of the dances, said that many of the students were nervous on opening night because it was their first time dancing in front of a live audience.
Rio's Dance Director, Alyson Cartagena, adds "It is not about being perfect but challenging ourselves to try new things."
Opening the show was "Swan Lake Village", an up beat, fun, ballet number choreographed by Cartagena. The dancers were light on their feet expressing beautiful pirouettes and grand jetés.
Diana Sherwood was the choreographer behind the next number, "Samba Rio", which was full of surprises.
It started with a colorful Brazilian drumbeat and quickly transitioned to a lively Samba with heavy percussion.
My favorite part of the performance was when the dancers broke out of the Brazilian jig into an intense step squad.
Rosemary Chavez followed with a modern dance that she choreographed and performed it to an instrumental version of Evanescence's "My Immortal".
Rachel Lopez's dance, "Discipline", included a fun mixture of groovy hand signals, high kicks, and a vivid use of color.
A parental advisory warning for one of the dances was somewhat unexpected, but considering that the content for that number was about a woman's cycle, it seemed necessary.
On a somber note, Melissa Flores choreographed and performed "Denial, Anger, and Acceptance" as a tribute to her late father.
She captured strong emotion through every dance step causing some members in the audience to wipe away some of their tears.
The final number was performed to the electro-pop song "Black and Gold" by Sam Sparro.
It was definitely a high-energy number that looked incredibly fun to be a part of.
All of the dancers demonstrated hard work and effort, but most importantly, they showed that they are not afraid to try new things, even if that means dancing their bottom off.
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