On Saturday, Dec. 2, families and friends gathered together at Brunner’s main theater to watch Augustana’s Dance Company’s performance, “Feel the Power.” The seats were filled and the energy of the crowd was contagious. Bright colorful lights lit the stage, and with their sharp steps and strong expressions, the dancers conveyed a sense of power and strength.
The Dance Company Organization (DCO) is mainly focused on providing a space for everyone who wants to become a dancer. One of their goals is to break the stereotype that in order to be a dancer, a person needs to have a slim figure.
Christina Costa, a dancer and First-Year student, said that she loved this performance because she was able to do her own number. In addition, she also spoke about costumes and said that if the attire is well put together, it can make a big difference on the visual interpretation of the dances.
“During our dances we did a little skirt action, and it was really fun,” Costa said. “Also, if the costume looks clean and sleek, the dance is going togonna look amazing.”
With a bouquet in her hands and a wide smile on her face, senior Ellie Reckamp, president of the Dance Company said that the theme of this performance was all about confidence and energy.
“As a dancer, it is very important to feel good in your body because that is essentially your main instrument,” Reckamp said. “We also want our dancers to feel comfortable as they enjoy being under the lights as they are being watched by all the audience.”
Throughout a variety of happy and sad songs accompanied by complex moves, the dancers were able to convey a wide variety of feelings such as addressing what it is like to be human.
Sophomore Gianna Zampogna, a new member of DCO, said that many of the dances were contemporary, and therefore, had a lot of emotion and facial expressions.
“A lot of the dances really dig down into what it’s like working through tough times,” Zampogna said. “Also, now that finals are coming up, they have helped me pull out my emotions.”
A couple of months ago, the Dance Company requested a contingency from SGA in hopes of replacing some of their costumes which were over 20 years old. The goal was to incorporate bigger sizes, and also to provide attire that allowed dancers to move and feel comfortable.
“In our last show, we had a set of pants from our costume catalog that, due to their age, had really old buttons. So one dancer, who was me, went through a very awkward moment after my pants fell off due to the broken button,” Reckamp said. “Thankfully, the contingency was approved and we now have pants that don’t have breaking zippers and make all of our dancers feel comfortable.”
As all of the dancers made their way through the stage in order to perform their first dance, they all appeared very confident in their attire. The group had different body shapes and sizes, and that’s what made the performance inclusive and diverse.
Once the performances were over, the dancers bowed and then proceeded to look out into the audience as they received loud claps from every side of the crowd.
“We really appreciate all of you for being here. Also, we are having tryouts during the spring, so make sure to rush DCO and join our team,” Costa said after the performance.
