OLIVIA HARVEY, Special to The Denisonian — The power that dance carries extends far beyond entertainment.
With the upcoming World Of Dance performance, the numerous dance groups who make their home on Denison’s hill have a chance to demonstrate this.
This annual performance, the second of its kind, will this year will feature a total of five groups: IDM, Sazón, AfroSpice, DKDG and DISA. The organizations will perform a cohesive all-group number, as well as separate dances choreographed entirely by the student-run groups.
Viewers will experience a dynamic exploration of Hip-Hop, Merengue, Afro-Beat, Traditional Indian Dance, K-Pop and more, bringing the audience around the world as they dance combinations of traditional and contemporary dance styles.
In preparation, members have been putting in lots of time to ensure a powerful and compelling performance; IDM’s Alex Drumm ‘20, a cinema major and sociology minor from Dorchester, Massachusetts says of the group, “We have been practicing almost every day for long hours, just perfecting the movements, making sure everyone is precise and knows the correct transitions.”
Sazón’s Vanessa Ocampo ‘20, an education major from Chicago, Illinois, addresses the hard work her group has done in practice, citing that “this semester, Sazón has been working really hard and putting in hours, but we’re super excited to choreograph and work towards World of Dance.”
Ocampo also expresses her satisfaction in regard to the process of developing the dances: “What I really enjoy about Sazón is that the responsibility has fallen on all the team members, and everyone’s voices are being heard, so the choreography reflects the different perspectives, views and styles of the team members.”
Drumm continues that “IDM has been working extensively hard to redefine dance as a means to us and a means towards our audience while making a difference highlighting diversity.” Ocampo and Sazón “want to encompass all the different backgrounds, experiences, and traditions that we find within our team and Denison’s cross-cultural communities.” The performance is a project of passion, fulfilling a purpose beyond just entertainment, but rather also to expose dances to the audience that they may have never encountered.
World of Dance is sure to be an event not to miss. The 1.5-hour performance will take place on the evening of December 14th at 8:30 p.m., at the Michael D. Eisner Center for the Performing Arts – Burke Recital Hall.
World of Dance is free and open to the public, however, tickets are required and available online at www.tinyurl.com/denisonWoD.