Anna Jones
Writer

The University may be well known for its Engineering program, but the Arts program is rich with opportunity, and is growing in popularity and success. On Nov. 9 and 10, in Harvey M. Powers Theater, the University Department of Theater and Dance presented the Fall Dance Showcase.

The Showcase involved more than 60 dancers from all around campus. Anyone could audition for the show, and then, if selected, they could be cast in up to three pieces. Choreographers included students, faculty and guests.

“The student choreographers were really great. It was inspiring to see how passionate they were about dance,” Rachel Fernandes ’16, a dancer in the show, said.

Guest choreographers included alumna Kourtney Ginn ’12 and Erin Rehberg. Ginn is currently working for Dance/USA, Adventure Theatre-MTC and Dance 4 Peace in the Washington, D.C. area. Rehberg is founder and artistic director of Core Project Chicago, a performing arts collective.

The Showcase choreographers are experts in a vast variety of techniques and styles, so the show featured almost every type of dance. The music ranged widely too, including pieces from David Guetta to Tchaikovsky to Bon Iver.

“The show was really a mix of everything–jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, modern and even Irish,” Fernandes said.

“I really enjoyed the dance showcase because it showed a large variety of dances,” Eileen Cook ’16 said.

The show also included dance groups like the Lewisburg Dance Conservatory and students from Jazz I, Ballet I, Watersleeves and Social Dance classes. Two dancers from the Bisonettes were featured as well. Each number varied in size; some dances including eight or more dancers and some only featuring three.

Including a pre-show installment, the show featured 21 different numbers. The show was about two hours long with a short intermission.

“Everyone was saying that it gets better every year,” Fernandes said in response to how this year’s show compared to the shows in past years.

“Everyone was really talented, so it was really cool to see all those people that I knew from my classes in their element, performing really well,” Cook said.

Dancers enjoyed being a part of something so creative on campus.

“It was so fun being in a showcase here and meeting all the dancers at Bucknell,” Fernandes said.

With many guests at both shows, the Fall Dance Showcase was a huge success. Fernandes urges everyone to come out and audition for the Spring Showcase in April.