MIA CIECHALSKI
Life & Arts Editor
Orchesis Dance Company had their fall showcase earlier this month, which was full of popular music, cheering and excitement.
The opening number, which is also known as the cast piece, started the show with a popular song that everyone knows and loves, “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga.
Throughout this number, you could tell the dancers were enjoying themselves. The crowd was also having just as good a time with all the hooting and hollering you could hear.
The first half of the show had a wide array of happy, sassy and sentimental numbers.
The first number, “Remember to Breathe,” choreographed by Mia Enders, was a great number to open the show after the upbeat cast piece number. It had classic dance elements, while also having some fun steps to help make its own.
The opener was followed by a sexy and sassy number, “Bring on The Men,” choreographed by Isabel Pino Luz, was a very entertaining dance to watch.
Not only did it have chairs that all the dancers used throughout the whole dance, but there were many components that you normally don’t see in many Orchesis pieces.
The dancers did a great job of pulling the audience in and making them want more.
Afterwards, the show transitioned into a tap piece, “Come on Eileen,” choreographed by Jess Wozniak.
Tap numbers aren’t too common in Orchesis shows, so when the group does put one on, it’s often a fan favorite.
The next number took the show in a different direction, because instead of a group number, it was a duet called “Just Passing Through,” choreographed by Valentina Duić and Genevieve Griffin.
This number was truly one of the best duets Orchesis has had in a long time, mainly because there hasn’t been one featured in the last few shows.
The movement choices were so precise, and you could tell both of those dancers put so much time into this dance where every part of it was all tucked in nicely together.
If I could go back to watch certain dances again, this would be one of them.
Regularly scheduled programming returned next with another group piece called “That’s All We’ve Got,” choreographed by Heather Suchanyc.
This dance had a classic David Bowie song titled “Five Years,” which had an ambiguous beat that made it harder to count.
The dance had multiple changing direction points to make sure to hit every audience member, which is greatly appreciated when you have a show in the Bartlett Theatre.
After that, the next number was a piece about mental health called “When Will It Get Better,” choreographed by Sarah Howard.
This dance was so thought out, and the dancers should be extremely proud of showcasing a serious dance about mental health so well.
The next dance was not only a favorite of mine, but a crowd favorite as well.
“He Had It Coming,” choreographed by Aaliyah Freeman with contributions from their cast, was another sexy dance with music from the all-time classic musical “Chicago.”
Each dancer was showcased and had their own moment of shine. The dancers embodied the perfect amount of sassy while also pulling you to the edge of your seat wanting to see what was about to come next.
The best part of this dance was the drop split to end the dance off, which had the crowd go wild.
The second half of the show began with “Way Down Hadestown,” which was choreographed by Ellie Dunn.
This was the perfect number to start the second half of the show.
This dance had your classic flowy movements, while also taking you for a turn by incorporating surprise upbeat movements when you least expect it.
There were full group number parts, trios and solos throughout this dance, which was a great thing to incorporate because it kept the audience interested in all of the different spacing choices.
The second number for the second half of the show was “Lonely Boy,” choreographed by Anna and Dana MacQueen.
This dance has a special meaning for these sisters because this piece was created and inspired by their dad.
All the dances in every Orchesis show always have a special meaning behind them, but seeing a piece that is a shared experience between two siblings makes watching this dance all the better.
While the audience may not know the dancers’ father personally, you could tell that this dance was very interconnected and personal.
The next dance was “Freefall,” choreographed by Tessa Bonanno.
This dance was definitely another one of my personal favorites. It started off with flowy movement, and then all of a sudden, it transitioned into intense and very intentional movements.
The dancers did an amazing job of differentiating their movements to make it obvious to the audience members that we are now in a different part of this piece.
The next piece was “The Room Where It Happens,” choreographed by Mackenzie Phelps.
This was the show’s fourth musical theater number, and seeing that in an Orchesis show is always so great and fun to watch because the dance club doesn’t normally have many musical theater numbers in a show.
This dance was most definitely a crowd favorite as well because of every single component that Phelps decided to put in this piece.
It was entertaining, with a popular song, great dancers and really great movement choices.
After that crowd pleasing number, the show then went on to “Where Do You Belong?” choreographed by Nichole Iacuzzo.
This dance had a very popular song choice and eye-popping costumes, which shows this dance did not come to play.
Watching this dance was honestly so uplifting to see because it had a smaller cast, and while the choreography was still complex, it was also simple. The term “less is more” would be the perfect thing to use when describing this dance.
The show then moved on to a quirkier number, and it was “Ramalama” choreographed by Sam Mackey.
It’s not too often that an Orchesis dance really pushes the envelope like this dance did, and it was so interesting and entertaining to watch.
This piece was a contemporary tap fusion piece with a nod to 1920s clown aesthetics, which was so cool to watch.
The final piece for this show was “Last Forever,” choreographed by Ava Sargente.
This piece was the perfect dance to have to close out the show, and it was so entertaining to watch so many different dance genres and components all join forces in this piece.
The Orchesis Dance Company’s Fall 2025 Showcase was so entertaining to watch, not just because of all the fun and interesting concepts that were brought, but mainly because you could tell that all the dancers were doing what they love.