Orchesis Presents Spectacular Performance

Orchesis took over the dance studio and performed for students, family, staff and faculty on Fri, Nov. 10 and Sat, Nov. 11. The dance studio was full with students, family, friends and staff members as they were set to watch Orchesis perform.

The first performance opened up with a group dance, choreographed by Sami Heckendorn ’20. The song that they danced to was “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez. The dance style was jazz and had an intimate vibe to it.

Stefanie Pleasant ’21 stated, “The use of lighting and the back drop in one of the performances was great because it gave each performance a sense of attitude and clear purpose. Their costumes were my favorite part because they weren’t over dramatic about them. Most of the costumes were simple.”

Sierra Hill ’21 mentioned, “I think my favorite dance was the second piece by Sami. It was so intense and beautiful. It was like her dance told a story. I enjoyed watching her dance. She is a good dancer.”

After about six performances there was an intermission. During intermission an announcement was made about upcoming opportunities for students to attend. It was said that there will be a guess dancer by the name of Teresa Fellion who will be here during the spring semester and that students will have an opportunity to watch her perform.

After intermission about six more pieces were performed. Most were group dances or duets.
The first dance after intermission was a group dance, called “Look At Me.” The style of the dance was lyrical with a little bit of ballet. The song the dancers performed to was “Look at Me” by Madeux. The piece was choreographed by Jenna Jamison.

The other five pieces that were performed were a mix of contemporary, lyrical and ballet. The dancers were very organized and proficient. They brought energy and style into their dances. It seemed as though most of their dances told a story. Looking over into the crowd it seemed as though everybody was interested and engaged with the dances.

One dance that stood out to the crowd was a duet performed by Shannon McKenzie ’18 and Heckensorn . The two performed a lyrical and ballet mix dance to the song called “Work” by Hozier. Both of them helped to choreograph their dance.. During their performance, the audience was very engaged, some even standing up to clap after their performance was over.

The performance ended with a group piece performed by everybody in Orchesis. They danced to a song called “22” by Bon Iver and “Life Story” by Olafur Arnalds. The piece was called “Flock.” It was a mix of lyrical, contemporary and ballet within the piece. The group dance was very well organized and a great way to end the show.

Heckendorn commented, “My favorite part about this weekend was being with my friends and all the jokes and laughs we had backstage.”

Orchesis will be performing again in the spring semester April 6 and 7.

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