Category: Student Organization

PREVIEW: Princess Ida

Neha Srinivasan Leave a comment

The show that the University of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society (UMGASS) is putting on this semester is Princess Ida. If you haven’t heard of Gilbert and Sullivan, they were a duo (a librettist and composer respectively) who wrote comic operas in the late 1800s. While the 1800s were a long time ago, the humor in the operas is as fresh now as it ever was. And it doesn’t hurt that UMGASS does a beautiful job of adding even more exuberance to that humor.

Gilbert and Sullivan operas are so absurd that it’s hard to know where to begin giving a synopsis. In the most general sense, Ida is about women’s education. But for more details, I recommend you come to the show.

Showtimes are Thursday 12/7 – Saturday 12/9 at 8pm, and Saturday 12/9 – Sunday 12/10 at 2pm. Tickets are available at umgass.brownpapertickets.com, at the door, or free with a Passport to the Arts.

REVIEW: Straight to the Pointe

Aria Gerson Leave a comment

In a word, Straight to the Pointe, Salto Dance Company’s winter show, was captivating. Their technique, skill, and creativity was evident at every turn.

Salto is unique because they perform both contemporary and ballet — the only dance group on campus to do so — and one of my favorite parts of their performance was how they blended the two styles.

Their opening number, “Felix Culpa,” was a perfect example. The dance pulled me in right away. It was performed en pointe, but it wasn’t a simple variation from a classical ballet. “Felix Culpa” was a dynamic routine that incorporated modern elements, and it really set the tone for the rest of the performance.

Salto continued to showcase innovative choreography with numbers like “Summer Friends,” a point number set to the song of the same name by Chance the Rapper. Before this show, I never could’ve imagined ballet set to rap music, but choreographer Emma Bergman proved that it may be unconventional, but it works.

Overall, I enjoyed the solos and small groups more than the large groups, as the bigger numbers could look a little cluttered at times. That’s natural — the more people on stage, the harder it is for them to all stay synchronized. And sometimes in the larger groups, some of the dancers seemed to lack connection to the music, making the numbers seem less cohesive.

About half the cast performed solos in the show. The solos were as varied in style as the group numbers, from classical variations to modern pointe to contemporary. Each solo impressed in a different way. Caroline Richburg’s “La Esmeralda,” a variation from Jule’s Perrot’s ballet of the same name, stood out for her effortless use of a tambourine, tapping it along to the beat while she performed technical movements. Another of my favorites, Holly Borla’s contemporary solo “Vision,” showcased Borla’s musicality and connection to the piece. The solos gave each dancer an opportunity to showcase her individual strengths and provided a nice change of pace from the groups.

Interspersed with the dance numbers were guest performances by hip-hop group FunKtion, a cappella group 58 Greene, and Irish dance company Leim Dance. I have mixed feelings on the guest performances; while each group was talented, I thought at times that they took away from the mood and flow of the show. However, the guest appearances made me interested in seeing what those other groups were about, providing mutual benefit to both Salto and the other organizations involved.

To close out the show, the full company surprised with a jazz performance to “Jingle Bell Rock.” I enjoyed the number, especially as someone who loves everything Christmas, but I thought it was a bit of an odd conclusion to the show since the number didn’t fit the style or mood of the rest. That said, a conclusion doesn’t necessarily need to be cohesive if it leaves the audience with a good taste in their mouth, and the finale certainly did that, revealing a different side of Salto that the audience hadn’t yet seen and injecting a bit of fun into an otherwise-serious performance.

REVIEW: Michigan’s Best Dance Crew

Aria Gerson Leave a comment

All reality shows have an opening number, and Michigan’s Best Dance Crew was no different, kicking off with the emcees lip-syncing to The Cheetah Girls. That’s when I knew it was going to be good.

The show was an hour and a half of unadulterated fun. Each crew — all student-run and choreographed — had a different flavor, making for a well-rounded and entertaining event. Here’s a peek at my judging sheet*:

*I was not an official judge for the event

Dance 2XS (pronounced “To Success”) were a great start to the competition. The hip-hop crew was poised and energetic. They weren’t as flashy as some of the groups that followed, nor did they break out a lot of big tricks, but the eventual third-place winners still made an impact. They didn’t stand out as much as some of the other groups, but they had no real weaknesses either and set the tone for the rest of the night.

Michigan Izzat fuses hip-hop with the traditional Indian styles of Bhangra and Bollywood. I had no idea what to expect, but I ended up loving them.  You could tell from their performance that they genuinely enjoyed every moment up on that stage, and I thought the way they combined the styles worked really well. They didn’t place, making them my biggest snub of the night, but that fact truly speaks to the level of all the crews that performed.

Impact Dance brought it with a sassy jazz medley. I couldn’t take my eyes off one particular girl. She was front and center through most of the number, and her flawless technique, poise, and personality really carried the piece. One of the hardest parts of jazz is getting turns and leaps in sync, and Impact struggled with that at times, though their performance quality was good enough that it was quickly forgiven.

EnCore is one of the more popular crews on campus, and here they showed why, taking home second place from the judges as well as the People’s Choice Award. From the moment they walked out onstage in personalized black jackets, you could tell they were a force to be reckoned with. EnCore stood out because of their polish, difficult moves, and technique, and their number left the audience cheering.

FunKtion hip-hop crew blew me away with their innovative choreography. Their music was a medley of hip-hop, R&B, house, and even EDM songs. They incorporated traditional hip-hop moves as well as animation and breakdance and made it flow seamlessly, impressing the judges enough to win them the grand prize. FunKtion wasn’t quite as synchronized or polished as EnCore, but their passion for dance was clear at every moment, and they get bonus points for ending their routine with jazz hands.

Cadence gave the audience a completely different look with their contemporary number. I was impressed by their choreography, as often contemporary numbers start to feel like a mere series of leg extensions. This wasn’t the case for Cadence, whose dance really told a story. The emotion of the choreography was occasionally betrayed in some of the dancers’ faces, but for the most part, they sold their emotional piece, and it carried them to a third-place tie.

The party didn’t end there. While the judges tallied the votes, members of Michigan Izzat, FunKtion, and Dance 2XS came onstage for a freestyle dance battle. FunKtion captivated with their popping and ultimately won the largest share of the applause, the cherry on top of their overall win.

Michigan’s Best Dance Crew was one of the most fun on-campus events I’ve been to this year. If it’s renewed for another season, I’ll be back, and you should come, too.

PREVIEW: Straight to the Pointe

Aria Gerson Leave a comment

Ballet is often viewed as separate from other forms of dance. Most performances that aren’t strictly ballet don’t involve any ballet. But in reality, ballet, often called the foundation of all dance, isn’t as different from other styles of dance as it is often perceived.

Salto Dance Company, a student-run dance company, is the only dance group at Michigan that performs ballet. But even for a pointe group, they’re unique because they don’t solely do ballet. Straight to the Pointe, Salto’s winter showcase, will feature a blend of classical ballet with contemporary and lyrical styles.

If you like dance, music, or punny titles, you should come see Straight to the Pointe presented by Salto Dance Company. The show is this Friday, December 1, at 7 PM at the Mendelssohn Theatre in the Michigan League. Tickets are $8 for students, $10 for adults, or free with Passport to the Arts.

PREVIEW: Michigan’s Best Dance Crew

Aria Gerson Leave a comment

When I’m procrastinating on homework, my go-to TV is reality dance competitions. I love the high energy. I love agonizing over who my favorites are. I love attempting my own choreography in my room later and embarrassing myself because I am decidedly not a dancer. Most of all, though, I’m fascinated by dance, by how the dancers and choreographers interpret the songs, by how it seamlessly weaves music, movement, and style. So when I saw that Michigan was hosting its own dance competition, Michigan’s Best Dance Crew, I knew I would be there.

No doubt based on the reality dance show America’s Best Dance Crew, Michigan’s Best Dance Crew is a competition that pits several student dance groups against one another to determine who wins the title. While its namesake show featured exclusively hip-hop groups, the campus version is open to any group who wished to audition, so it’s likely to have something for everyone. And if you’ve always wanted to be Nigel Lythgoe, Bruno Tonioli, or Lil Mama for a night, the People’s Choice Award lets students be the judge.

If you’re like me and love dance, reality competition shows, or dance reality competition shows, come and see Michigan’s Best Dance Crew on November 30 at 7 PM at the Mendelssohn Theatre in the Michigan League. Tickets are $3 in advance at the Michigan Union Ticket Office or $5 at the door.

REVIEW: Intergalactic Pops

Angela Lin Leave a comment

This concert was not your typical concert. With hilariously-poorly-designed videos, a planet diss showdown, a lightsaber fight, and a game show, Michigan Pops definitely brought the pops to Michigan.

Before the main event, the early-arriving audience was entertained by Dicks and Janes, an a cappella group on campus.

 

Their singing was lovely, and I enjoyed listening to them as I relaxed and took in the beautiful venue, waiting for the Michigan Pops Orchestra to take the stage. I will definitely be on the lookout for acapella concerts after this!

After over 100 students and Music Director Rotem Weinberg filled the stage, there was lift off.

Opening with Also Sprach Zarathustra: Sonnenaufgang (which you may not recognize the name of, but you will definitely recognize the tune when you hear it) was iconic and set the stage perfectly for the rest of the concert. Some songs were very familiar, while some I never heard before. The program consisted of classical music, movie soundtracks, and video game theme songs, all centered around the theme of “space”. It featured soloists Benjamin Walker and Megumi Nakamura from SMTD, and their voices complemented the orchestra perfectly. “Sun and Moon” was captivating, and the bit from Pinocchio was such a childhood throwback — I wasn’t prepared for all the feels that night. But, the orchestra and voices were so powerful and beautiful that all I felt was the feels throughout the entire evening.

Music was not all there was in store, however. Before Jupiter, there was a battle for the title of best planet, ending with Assistant Music Director Tal Benatar claiming that “every planet is special in their own way.” Awwww.

Videos for Star Wars, E.T., and Mario were created and played.

Sometimes, I felt the videos were too entertaining that it was a bit too distracting from the music. I was too busy laughing at the pasted E.T. face that I forgot the orchestra was playing. However, during the Super Mario Galaxy 2 song, the music brought the video to life. So, I think the presence of the videos depended on the listener and whether that took away from the orchestra or added to it. It was enjoyable nonetheless. Additionally, there was a lightsaber duel that took place between two Pops alumni in a video that found its way into a live-action finale.

In the second half, there was a game show with audience participation called Planet or No Planet.

It was so ridiculous, it was amazing.

Ending with Reflections of Earth, which is from the IllumiNations show at Epcot, the night’s music really caused me to reflect on everything, known and unknown. At certain times, the orchestra was so intense and grand that I couldn’t handle it, and it caused me to realize once again how small and finite we are in the end. The power of their music was literally transcendent.

Finally, Michigan Pops brought it back home with a rendition of Hail to the Victors as an encore, ending with the Michigan pride that makes the stars shine maize and blue.

The time and energy the Pops orchestra put into preparing for this concert, in terms of music and all the entertainment, was as clear as the moon, and it paid off for an amusing night filled with laughter and emotions. As we journeyed through space on this night of wonder, I realized I’m really happy to live on this earth where I had the opportunity to experience all the talent produced by the lovely humans that graced the stage of the Michigan Theater that night. With their music, they filled our minds with universes beyond life. What I listened to was more transformative than a solar eclipse, more brilliant than a shooting star, more powerful than a black hole, more grounding than gravity; I listened to the Michigan Pops Orchestra. And it was certainly out of this world.