The annual NECC Dance Recital took place April 22 and 23 at Lawrence High School. Opening the show were the students in the NECC Dance Club, shaking and grooving to the funky beats of “Feel Good Inc.” by the Gorillaz.
The electric feel of the dancers lithely moving across the stage in synchronization was infectious to the audience, who tapped their feet watching the students perform the pieces they’ve been working on all year.
“Empty Room Session” featured a breathtaking performance with Mikaela Angers and Carli Hamilton in contrasting outfits of light versus dark.
Accompanied by “Love the Way You Lie” by Skylar Grey, the female students depicted a scene through dance that could be interpreted in multiple ways.
Whether it be bringing awareness to an abusive relationship, or a toxic friendship, they danced magnificently together.
They ended the act with a hauntingly beautiful acapella of the ending of the song that left the audience with goosebumps.
The dance program at NECC offers a multitude of classes and dance styles for the students to perfect or try something new. The classes offered are ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, world dance, dance composition, dance pedagogy and dance production.
The world dance classes performed a couple of very interesting pieces.
One of these was Yole, a traditional dance from the Temne people of Sierra Leone; and Tiribia, a welcoming dance of the Baga people from northwestern Guinea.
Other acts included a solo performance called “Still Breathing” by Kelly Gormley, who choreographed her own dance number much like the other students, and “Just Here (Dedicated to John & Scott)” which was a beautiful tribute to the dance program.
“Finding Out, Finding Me” was an interesting and vibrant piece with a lot of movement and energy, with dancers Zaida Buzan, Nina Cabral, Arianna Crawford, Elisabeth Dirk, Katie Formosi, Megan McCullough, Tiffany Melo, Michelle Zukowski were the last the hit the stage before intermission.
After intermission, diverse dance styles took the stage including a hip-hop piece, and even a country music ensemble called “Red” to the song “Beautiful Drug” by the Zac Brown Band.
One act in particular, ”Kinnection,” featuring Nina Cabral and George Vasconcellos, lit up the stage with the dancers’ electricity and precision in their movements.
The dance program has two performances a year, and the program helps hone an aspiring dancer’s skills in many ways.
They learn how to manage a production, including lighting and costume design, classroom teaching skills, injury prevention, dance composition and choreography skills.
The program is designed to prepare the students to both perform, but also transfer to a four-year college, open their own studios and become teachers or progress to be a professional.The dance students at NECC put forth a talented performance this Spring 2016 semester.
