Nguyễn Thủy Tiên
Come one, come all, to the 2022 Spring Showcase! On May 21st, Barbara Ingram’s Dance Department brought fairytales from everyone’s childhood to life in a fantastical retelling of Sleeping Beauty! The ballet included the original characters like Princess Aurora (played by Janelle Weaver) and Prince Philip (played by Judson Rand), however the performance took its own twist on the fairytale where instead of although there was a big and bad villain, it wasn’t Maleficent! The only difference between Maleficent and this production’s villain is that Maleifican’t name had been changed to Carabosse (played by Heidi Berry).
If I could, I would describe everything I saw but unfortunately, I can only offer you some of the best moments and details. So without further ado, I present to you, the highlights of the 2022 Spring Showcase!
THE NARRATION
While there was no dialogue and everyone danced across the stage rather than walked, the ballet is divided into a prologue and three acts. Because there was no dialogue, the audience was provided with a program that described the plot of each part of the show.
The Prologue (titled “The Christening Party”) follows Aurora’s backstory fairly similarly. It takes place at the Royal Palace where all of the Fairies of the kingdom are invited by the Queen (played by our very own Mama Webb to honor her last year working here at BISFA). Each fairy has a gift to give baby Aurora. As expected, the tale is narrated through dance.
But Caraboose (remember, Not Maleficent!) wasn’t invited to Aurora’s christening, and because Caraboose felt so insulted she curses baby Aurora with the tale that we all know: one day, Aurora will prick her finger on the needle of a spingle and die. The foreboding and dark shift in the ballet, paired with the red lights and intense atmosphere that takes the stage when Caraboose comes out from the shadows sets in. Behind Caraboose are her minions (played by Jena Lescalleet, Amy Rivera, Tokoya Rowe, and Abbie Scofield). Caraboose’s Minions fight the other Fairies, those of which are guarding baby Aurora’s crib from Caraboose herself. The motions of each dancer narrate their actions perfectly, like how Caraboose's sharp movements portray her casting a spell. The intense atmosphere softens when the Lilac Fairy returns to the stage -- the lighting turns lilac and the music sounds as peaceful as tiny bell chimes.
THE CHARACTERS
Remember Aurora’s fairy godmothers? Well, here, she has more than three. Each Fairy who was invited to Aurora’s christening takes on their own style that displays their personalities and serves as Aurora’s godmothers.
The music changed for each of the Fairies so that their dances would match. Sarah Dickey portrays the Fairy of the Crystal Fountain; her dance was gentle and soothing under the soft glow of the spotlight. Caroline Grubb portrays the Fairy of the Enchanted Garden; her dance was full of life but also peaceful compared to other Fairies. Amelia Carter portrays the fairy of the Woodland Glade; her dance was lively, just as the beautiful green costume she wore. Quisqueya Herrera portrays the Canary Fairy; her dance was whimsical and upbeat. Maryjane Line portrays the Fairy of the Golden Vine; her dance was bold, sharp, and fierce. The last of the Fairies was Kianna Durocher who portrays the Lilac Fairy; her dance was elegant and embodied what people typically think of a ballet -- graceful and poised.
Kianna Durocher as the Lilac Fairy
In Act III (titled “The Fairytale Wedding”), we get to see multiple characters from other storybooks. In a sassy, comical dance are Puss N’ Boots (played by McKenna Iseminger and Manuel Mejias). Garnering multiple cheers before they even finished were the Blue Birds (played by Charlotte Elliot and Nathaniel Ferguson). The third duo were Little Red and the Wolf (played by Colia Fletcher and Matthew Semler), the latter who surprised everyone with his blend of martial arts kickflips and ballet.
AFTER THE BALLET
You’ll be shocked to know that there’s more! Following the end of the Sleeping Beauty ballet, the Dance Department held their own performances to showcase two different dance genres. Groups alternated between Modern and Jazz to balance out techniques.
The program included a Modern piece to the song “Mind Heist” by Zack Hemsey (choreographed by Keleah Barr), a Jazz piece to the song “Look Up” by Joy Oladokun (choreographed by Andrea Masciocchi), a Modern piece to the song “Cradles” by Sub-Urban (choreographed by Andrea Massiochi), and a Jazz piece to the song “Let It Hurt” by Daniel Saint Black (choreographed by Keleah Barr).
The final dance in the Jazz-Modern program was a Modern piece to the song “Old Time Rock N’ Roll” by Bob Seger (choreographed by Keleah Barr and Andrea Masciocchi). In this piece, the entire Dance Ensemble participated in “Old Time Rock N’ Roll.” It was a thrilling time to see how fully versatile and capable BISFA’s Dancers are!
FAREWELL, SENIORS!
After the Jazz-Modern pieces, we were led into a farewell for the 2022 Dance graduates. The farewell began with a heartfelt and sentimental slideshow of photos and videos from the four years these graduates shared together. There were photos and videos of them laughing, going for joyrides, many fishing trips, and so much more from Freshmen year and now.
The night concluded with a combination of Tap, Hip-Hop and Contemporary. Starting off with Colia Fletcher and Quisqueya Herrera, these fabulous girls choreographed their own Tap dance to Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl.” The music medley transitioned the audience into T-Pain’s “Up Down,” which was a Hip-Hop piece danced to and choreographed by BISFA’s Three Musketeers -- Tony Drumm, Isaiah McLeod, and Judson Rand.
The very final dance of the night was a Contemporary piece to Lord Huron’s “The Night We Met,” which was choreographed by Hedi Berry, Colia Fletcher, Stella Graditor, Quisqueya Herrera, Brooklyn Rice, and Taylor Shay. This piece included every Senior Dancer. If the slideshow wasn't enough to start the waterworks, “The Night We Met” surely had a couple tears running down everyone’s faces. These Seniors showed just how much of a family they were both on and off stage from how in-tune they were as dancers sharing the spotlight and friends headed for the future together.
The Phantom would like to congratulate this year’s Senior Dancers for their achievements here at Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, as well as all that’s to come for every single one of them! Take this as The Phantom’s goodbye to you -- Heidi Berry, Tony Drumm, Colia Fletcher, Stella Graditor, Quisqueya Herrera, Isaiah McLeod, Judson Rand, Brooklyn Rice, and Taylor Shay, you’re all going to do amazing things.
WANT MORE?
It was a great night to watch every performer! While there’s still so much left to say, there’s just not enough pages for every detail to be included. Want to see the Dancers yourself? Be sure to keep up-to-date with the BISFA Newsletter for upcoming performances! Subscribe to receive publications biweekly, every Wednesday!
Congratulations, Dancers, and farewell!
Comments