Inside the intimate confines of the CFA's Black Box Theatre, the Department of Theatre and Dance's Zodiaque Studio Dance Ensemble wowed audiences this past weekend.
The two-act performance, directed by William E. Thomas and Joyce Lichtenberger, included 28 dancers moving with the expressive grace of professional dancers.
The stories of the night were told through two mediums. Along with the emotional contemporary/lyrical dancing came modern-jazz accompaniment, complimenting the movement perfectly.
Student choreographer Nicole Pavone's "Body's Pain" told the moving story of human pain coming in physical and emotional forms. Faculty choreographers included Joyce Lichtenberger and Kerry Ring.
Lichtenberger presented a jazz/modern fusion piece using imagery from casino games that was set to electronic music by Nada. Ring's dance, "Carpe Diem," was performed to two pieces of French music from Putomayo Presents: Paris: "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" by Carla Bruni, and "Carpe Diem" by Aldebert. The dance reflected the idea of "seizing the day" and the importance of seeking true love.
"I really liked ["Carpe Diem"] because it was really passionate. You could feel the intensity of it," said pre-med sophomore Amy D'Silva.
"Hazard of Trust," choreographed by Michael Deeb was undoubtedly the most expressive performance of the night. Staged to music from Frou Frou, the dancing was as expressive as any acted in a play.
"I liked "Hazard of Trust" and "Unraveling Truths" (the ensemble's final set of the first act) because they told their stories and you really got what they were trying to portray," said political science sophomore Ashleigh Edwards
The lighting during the particular piece conveyed the issues of trust in a relationship. When the music was faster in pace, the emotions conveyed were more uplifting along with the lighting.
As the performance became slower, the lighting and dance moves turned melancholy.
The dancers were skillful and precise in their movements. They were synchronized and fluid. The movement was sharp and steady; even an untrained eye could see that these dancers had talent. Their performance was expert enough that audience members could empathize with every emotion portrayed on stage.
Michael Levine, a junior at UB, enjoyed the performance.
"The dancers had such strong expressions," Levine said. "Each dance told its own story as if they were reading a script during a play. It was a pleasure to see dancing come to life in such a strong way."
