I have found that as a former dancer, I sometimes get the almost irresistible urge to dance. Sometimes it’s a new Britney song (don’t judge…) or a movie musical or something equally girly, but last Thursday night it was the [M]ovement showcase.

The $10 show at Zellerbach Playhouse was worth every penny – to say the least. I immensely enjoyed every number, and was very impressed with the choreography that Cal students were capable of producing. The opening number was one of my favorites; it was a hip hop piece with seamless transitions between groups of people and songs. And of course there was lots of booty popping.

Some of the dances were produced by [M]ovement, but some of them were by guest performers. One notable one was a jazz piece by Danceworx – it was elegant, fluid, and incredibly well put-together. I was particularly a fan of the costumes that had ropes gracefully snaking up the dancers’ arms. Another inspired guest performer was AFX Dance, which choreographed a dance inspired by the game “Mafia.” Some dancers were police officers, others were in suits, and some wore half-faced masks, to create a extremely well-synchronized and effortless piece.

The swing pieces were all delightfully nostalgic and energetic, complete with Oxfords, flouncy skirts, and many, many twirls. One of these dances was about prom, and reminded me so much of “Grease.” Just hearing Elvis come on made everyone want to smile with the radiant dancers.

The best piece of the night, in my opinion, was reminiscent of the talent show scene in Mean Girls, but on steroids; everyone wore ugly sweaters and Santa hats, and recited some slightly altered lines from the oh-so-quotable movie. First “Janice” explained how “where you dance in Berkeley” defines who you are – she named groups like “hip hop hotties” and “girls who dance their feelings.” Then there was of course the obligatory rap by “Kevin,” which started off with “All you sucker dancers…” and had him proclaiming that he was a “dance freak.” A dance to Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” came next, followed by the famous “Jingle Bell Rock” Plastics dance. Four girls dressed in Santa outfits repeated the choreography from the movie, which, if you’ve seen “Mean Girls” as many times as I have, was instantly recognizable. A particularly funny moment occurred when the girl playing Gretchen actually did kick the stereo into the audience, and they started singing the song, just like in the movie. Needless to say, it was also a very well performed dance.

One of the best parts of the showcase was the audience. I could tell many of them were there for friends because at the beginning of every piece audience members would yell out words of encouragement for their fellow students. The announcers for all the dances also encouraged the audience to participate in cheering the dancers on, and taught us dance cheers to yell out like “Work” and “I see you!” This made the already relaxed atmosphere even more enjoyable, and the audience became an integral part of the viewing experience. It almost made me regret not joining this dance community, which is clearly extremely supportive, fun, and uproarious.

So next time there’s a [M]ovement showcase, drag your overworked self and a couple equally stressed out friends out of Moffitt and watch those dancers “work,” because they most certainly can.

All photos taken by Caliber photographer Gina Tai.

Trending Articles: