Ten years later, diSiac's still got it

Now, as a diSi-veteran audience member, I have seven shows under my belt: "Elements," "Snapshots," "Identity," "Disclosure," "Voices," "Trip" and this fall's "Evolution." Discretely lurking in the shadows of Berlind on Tuesday evening, I watched diSiac's first official run-through of "Evolution," which premieres tonight.

A few dancers in white button-downs and black ties fooled around on stage. "Alright, let's get serious," said Philip Grace '09, one of the company's artistic directors. "From here on out, we're starting the show." The chuckles ceased, the lights faded, and the show began.

This year is the company's 10th anniversary. The show's title - "Evolution" - pays homage to its history. DiSiac president Perry Nagin '09 explained that Evolution allowed the dancers to "reach back to diSiac tradition to see how we've evolved, as well as how we are still evolving."

"I think the theme has provided a lot of opportunity for insight into ourselves as a company," she added.

"Evolution" distinguishes itself from past performances as one rich in creativity. A piece choreographed by Eric Jordan '09 to T-Pain's "Church" is particularly noteworthy. A spunky hip-hop song is metamorphosed into a comical reflection on the generational clash of churchgoers. Then, there's the narrative that choreographer Adam Zivkovic '10 created to "Twenty Minutes" by ediT, which recounts the heated proceedings of an emotional trial.

The show's innovative choreography helps showcase the company's fresh talent. This fall, diSiac initiated 10 new members whose youthful talent sparkles on stage. The company will graduate 13 dancers this spring, but rest assured that the newbies will uphold diSiac's reputation.

Standout Jeff Kuperman '12 was chosen by artistic director Pilar Kiltz '10 as one of the two dancers in a piece to "I Found a Reason" by Cat Power, choreographed by diSiac alum Margaret Fuhrer '06. Kuperman and his counterpart, Hannah Rich '11, exhibited a flawless, heartfelt performance in Tuesday's run-through. The combination of Rich's malleability and grace with Kuperman's outstanding strength and agility is unsettling.

Kuperman and diSiac's five other new male dancers have solidified the company's wealth of testosterone. The sixth piece in the show exhibits the team's machismo. Adorned in jeans and black tanks, they flip and fly, following Kuperman's choreography to Nine Inch Nails. Shouts of "You guys are so hot!" reverberated from the sidelines.

That's not to say the company's female contingency is not equally powerful. The estrogen undoubtedly balances the testosterone: The girls are reliably sizzling, even dressed as amoebas in a piece choreographed by Jen Sirignano '10.

As dancer Carter Cleveland '09 said, "We're always trying to push the envelope." Despite the faulty lighting inevitable in a show's first run-through, Tuesday's "Evolution" performance foreshadowed the excellence tonight and Friday's shows will reveal. Expect to be stimulated by the diverse, fun music, the bold, dramatic costumes and the explosion of both experienced and fresh talent.