It is 10:30 on a Sunday morning, and already the Wilcox dance studio is sweltering. As Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama" blares on the loudspeakers, the company members clap and sing to cheer on their fellow dancers as they float across the dance floor with grace.
Though the dancers have been practicing since the second week of the spring semester, it is an early weekend morning, and the academic crunch that is dean's date is rapidly approaching, every company member is beaming. The room seems to radiate joy and camaraderie.
It is another rehearsal for diSiac Dance Company's spring 2002 show, titled "Voyeur: Dance Like No One's Watching." The performance, which is composed of original pieces choreographed by the students in the troupe, is diSiac's second full-scale production this year, the first of which was "Thermodynamics."
"The name of the show is really about a specific attitude we have, or a theme which unifies the show," says artistic director Kelly Sortino '03.
She explains that, though there are always going to be spectators at a dance performance, it is essential to maintain the spirit of freedom one would have when no one was viewing them. "So, in 'Voyeur,' there is a certain sense of discomfort throughout the show," Sortino goes on to say. "The stage is no longer used as a boundary, but as a means to interact with the audience — the energy is transferred in different ways, and the show is deliberately unsettling."
" 'Voyeur' is definitely edgier than our last show. We always like to push the envelope, throw a curve ball, and see how the audience will react," adds president Kathy Lee '03.
Indeed, the show certainly has its own distinct flavor. Highly sexualized pieces with gyrating girls are in the program alongside diSiac's characteristic high-energy techno pieces, and a willowy, lyrical piece is followed by a fun Britney Spears-esque-pop dance.
In an immensely disturbing and deranged (yet oddly wonderful!) piece, the dancers writhe on the floor, twitching their heads, jerking their limbs out from their bodies, and coldly gazing out into the audience.The dance resembles — to put it bluntly — exorcism.
A poignant gospel piece, by sophomore Eni Smith, is also not to be missed. The dancers' passionate facial expressions capture, as Sortino says, the "roller-coaster of emotions."
The audience will ride that rollercoaster with the music and with the dancers themselves. This piece is, in Sortino's words, "not what you'd expect," and a far cry from exorcism and derangement, to say the least.
Finally, the 80s classic rock piece, choreographed by Sun Kim '04, will, without a doubt, have the audience members up on their feet desiring to dance the night away!
Since its establishment in 1998, diSiac has evolved from two students' original Butler-courtyard choreography to a full-fledged dance troupe capable of putting on large-scale productions such as "Voyeur."
The members come from very diverse dance backgrounds, each, to quote founder Gallant Nien '02, "bringing their own style to the group, and, as a result, making everyone else better dancers as well. diSiac gives us a means to express ourselves in ways we never though possible. We explore many forms of dance, and share this experience with each other."
"Voyeur" is a particularly special show for diSiac, not only because it marks the graduation of Nien, but also because it is the first performance following the passing away of Darayan Didier-Blanchard '00, the other co-founder of the group. Following the final Saturday night performance, free of charge at 10 p.m., a special performance featuring past and present members will be staged as a tribute to Didier-Blanchard.
The piece, which was choreographed by Didier-Blanchard himself, is "reflective of his style and his spirit," says Nien. "It is a celebration of what he gave us. We remember him on the stage, dancing, and want to share this memory with others."
Nien certainly has good reason to be proud of the group's accomplishments. The committed members of diSiac laid the foundation for the dance company on the pavement of Butler courtyard and, in a mere four years, are performing outstanding productions complete with modern lighting, innovative technique, and mind-warping pieces.
Judging from the high-energy, passion, and powerful choreography and dance in "Voyeur," there is no doubt great prospects lie ahead for diSiac.
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