On February 26, 2016, I attended a performance by UA Dance entitled Color Wheel. It was held in the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre. Color Wheel was indeed a wheel: six different performances gave viewers a broad taste of what dance has to offer; from ballet to tap to jazz. The pieces performed were choreographed by a wide variety of choreographers, from Jerome Robbins, known for West Side Story, to James Clouser, professor at the University of Arizona. The performance provided a well-rounded view of dance as a whole. The first dance was an excerpt from Jerome Robbins’ Antique Epigraphs. The performance opened with flute music and eight women in long, flowing dresses in earth tones. They started in a line running perpendicular to the audience,
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The piece was accompanied by narration, voiced by Chris Okawa, which I found intriguing from the start. Along with the narration was beat boxing. It added to the playful atmosphere of the dance. Danced by Zac Birdwell and Jack Halbert, the two gentlemen wore blue sequins, hats, white ties, and tap shoes. The tap dancing was often danced in unison, but each gentleman also gave the other their own time in the spotlight. The pair clicked their heels together often, while also doing toe and heel stands. Their facial expressions sold the dance, and energized the audience. Their interaction with the audience only added to this, as they reached out to individuals in the front row. What inspired me about this piece was their use of the stage. A section of the front of the stage was lowered, and the pair used this to their advantage. They jumped in and out, rested their chins on the ledge, and even playfully pushed each other around into it. As the pair danced, it felt like I was watching two college boys freestyling in their dorm room. Their energy and love for the piece was evident: they put everything they had into the piece. The rapid tap dancing of Cats in Hats was interesting to watch, while also being light hearted and
The piece was accompanied by narration, voiced by Chris Okawa, which I found intriguing from the start. Along with the narration was beat boxing. It added to the playful atmosphere of the dance. Danced by Zac Birdwell and Jack Halbert, the two gentlemen wore blue sequins, hats, white ties, and tap shoes. The tap dancing was often danced in unison, but each gentleman also gave the other their own time in the spotlight. The pair clicked their heels together often, while also doing toe and heel stands. Their facial expressions sold the dance, and energized the audience. Their interaction with the audience only added to this, as they reached out to individuals in the front row. What inspired me about this piece was their use of the stage. A section of the front of the stage was lowered, and the pair used this to their advantage. They jumped in and out, rested their chins on the ledge, and even playfully pushed each other around into it. As the pair danced, it felt like I was watching two college boys freestyling in their dorm room. Their energy and love for the piece was evident: they put everything they had into the piece. The rapid tap dancing of Cats in Hats was interesting to watch, while also being light hearted and