‘eXposure’ is eXquisite

The latest show from eXpressions, “eXposure,” is filled with well-executed numbers, ranging from the sultry to the sophisticated. Tara Knoll ’12, the group’s president, says the show is meant to exhibit the multiplicity of meanings inherent in the concept of exposure.

Semiotic concerns aside, the repertoire of styles on display is truly impressive. The troupe’s delight in diversity quickly becomes clear, with dance-floor anthems interspersed with ballads from artists like Rachael Yamagata. For the most part, the dance styles correspond well to the pace of the songs — Rihanna and Ke$ha get the mercurial hip-hop maneuvers, while the slower pieces rely heavily on languid modern dance moves.

Most of the time, the choreography is exceptional. Lara Yuan ’10 manages to make One Republic endurable, which is no mean feat, while Emily Francis ’13 deftly executes her solo combinations with the skill of an upperclassman.

The show’s best number is “Telephone,” cheoreographed by Jessi Somple ’08 and backed by the Lady Gaga song of the same name. The routine is filled with fishnets, shimmies and cabaret battements — all thoroughly appropriate for the story of a champagne-obsessed nightclub whore. Knoll calls it “the shit,” and while she’s not an unbiased source, it’s a pretty accurate description.

“Off” demonstrates the conceptual — as well as technical — prowess of Kayley McGrath ’12, whose choreography is backed by Linkin Park’s “Frgt/10.” McGrath set up “Off” as a militaristic landscape of kicks, thrusts and — this seems to be a motif of the show — more shimmies.

“Admit It,” choreographed by Knoll, opens with a rather different image: cliques of girls clad in rugby shirts and argyle accessories. The piece is backed by a diverse medley of music (Say Anything, Lil Wayne, Ke$ha) and performed in a consistently upbeat dance style, with particularly well-executed hip thrusts. While a somewhat obvious critique of the Princeton princess, the piece is elegantly conceptualized nonetheless, characterized by a self-awareness also beautifully effected in a pas de deux with Alison Goldblatt ’12 and Catherine Hsieh ’12, “Deny Action, Deny Truth.”

If this seems like an overly theoretical approach to reviewing a dance show, it’s because there’s so little that is lacking on the technical level. Sure, during the classical sequences, there is an overreliance on tours jetes, and some of the ensemble combinations have a few out-of-rhythm maneuvers, as is typical for these types of productions. But these small slipups are more than made up for by the energetic drive that eXpressions demonstrates throughout the show.

4 paws