Expressions' spring performance eXposes students' dance talents

I came to Princeton intending to escape the dance world.

A lot of good that did.

Like a typical Princeton freshman, I tried out for everything: a capella groups, Quipfire, lacrosse, rugby, fencing, field hockey – you name it. (Okay, so I'm kidding about the last four.) I threw in dance for good measure.

I was impressed by the quality of both the dancing and choreography of Expressions at Tiger Nite.

And, as Princeton's oldest dance group, I figured they knew what they were doing.

As the results show, I discovered I couldn't sing, wasn't funny and couldn't cradle a stick, pound my peers, stab people or do whatever you do with field hockey implement. But I could dance. Still, I was skeptical.

It wasn't until a mass of Expressions girls showed up at my door at four in the morning, chanting my name and bearing chocolate– only to be shot down by my roommate, who told them to go away and slammed the door – that I decided to give it a try.

And I haven't been disappointed.

Sure, I had convinced myself that my Princeton career would offer me an escape from 15 years in the dance world. But, Expressions is more about social dance. And by social dance, I don't mean to imply that we're waltzing and cha-chaing up on stage (although, we do incorporate an array of influences into our choreography). I mean to say that Expressions is as much a social group as it is a dance group.

And that is what makes it so fun and successful. Expressions is currently composed of 14 girls. Most of us have solid backgrounds in ballet, which is critical to executing any type of dance form successfully.

We are both genetically (we have twins! . . . and non-twins) and extracurricularly diverse. One of our artistic directors actually plays rugby. We have engineers, singers, actors, philanthropists, writers, prospective journalists, future politicians, cooks, photographers, sailors – the list goes on.

These diverse backgrounds engender diverse dance styles and choreography that incorporate ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, Latin, tap, pointe and cabaret-style dance. One of the things that distinguishes Expressions from other groups is that everyone has the opportunity to choreograph for every show (we perform both in the fall and in the spring). I was pleasantly surprised with how much freedom we were given, and I am proud to say I have taken full advantage.

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In my choreographic debut to Beck's "Where It's At," my dancers permitted me to bind their arms with glow sticks. Just this past fall, in our show "eX-Appeal," I did a company piece to the theme song from Austin Powers.

My dancer peers submitted to neon pink, green and orange bob wigs — while our rugby-playing artistic director happily donned a blue beehive and hot pink-striped jumpsuit.

I'm wondering how long everyone will put up with me.

But, so far, no one has revoked my privilege to satisfy my visions. In fact, for our upcoming show, "eX-posed," I choreographed a multi-part dance set outside an eating club.

I used six songs, hired a bouncer and created a semi-choreographed, semi-improved portrayal of "Princeton types" and the stereotypical (and comical) techniques they use for getting in without a pass.

In addition to my quirky contribution, "eX-posed" will feature a wide spectrum of pieces to music by The Rolling Stones, Linkin Park, Tori Amos, Outkast, 50cent, Norah Jones, 112, Christina Aguilera and more.

We have also exhibited a growing interest in enhancing the theatrical elements of each show, and stagecraft has become just as crucial and evolved as the dancing itself. These changes have attracted a broader audience of supporters.

After all, the only thing we enjoy more than engaging and interacting with each other is engaging and interacting with an audience.

As members of Expressions, we cannot escape the dance world because we love to perform.

You may have seen us rehearsing in the foyer of Dillon or Wilcox when we were locked out of the dance studios. Or perhaps at Good Friends, initiating our new members and terrorizing the restaurant staff.

Or on the Street, tearing up the dance floor on Thursday and Saturday nights. Or straddling the Cannon, as we pause for a photo op during our biannual Prospect 11. Or staggering out of Richardson or Frist at 7 a.m. during show week.

But if you haven't seen us on stage, you haven't really seen us.

Come to "eX-posed," April 3, 4, 5 at 8 p.m. at the Frist Theater, and let us entertain you.