On Thursday, February 29, at 7:30 p.m., Stockton University School of Arts and Humanities and Performing Dance presented Stockton Dance Company: Spring Dance Concert. There were a total of eight performances broken up into two sets with a ten minute intermission. These performances were titled Evolving, Traces, Six Simple Machines, Women Gather, Living with Ghost, Flamingos, Tethered Onto You and Better Together.  

For the first set, they opened with a dance named Evolving, choreographed by Caitilin Quinn Pittenger with collaboration from other dancers within the program. Costumes were produced by Janessa Urwin. The music played to this piece was called DIRT by SoVoSó. The dancers in this piece were Abigail Bell, Julianna Bolish, Abigail Butler, Courtney Fritz, Kylie Kolmer, Shanna Landestoy, India Little, Kayla Montetna, Madison Muniz, Allie Ribuffo and Syniah Washington.

Traces was the second piece choreographed by Rain Ross and this piece was choreographed to the song Drops by Pascal Schumacher with costumes by Caitlin Quinn Outtenger. The dancers in this piece were Rylee Albright, Lindsey Clark, Mia Dimmick, Katelin Kean, Kiersten Powell, Logan Reber, Angelina Rodilosso, Alyssa Straile, Giana Trigiani, and Emma Westgate. This dance was a contemporary lyrical piece, where everyone danced in unison with some minimal stunts that caught a lot of interest in the crowd. 

The third piece that was performed was Six Simple Machines, choreographed by Beau Hancock with Keane. Costumes were by Urwin, and the song used was Simple Symphony, Op, 4:1. Boisterous Bourree and Simple Symphony, Op 4:II and Playful Pizzicato by Benjamin Britten. The dancers in this piece were Bell, Butler, Daliangelie Corretjer, Madison Fopeano, Kolmer and Jackson O’ Brien. This piece was centered around a bell, where two dancers come out at a time and dance a duet together, and they try to reach a bell. Within failed attempts of trying to reach the bell individually, they all started to dance together as one and in unison they lifted up a dancer to ring the bell that everyone tried to reach, with an immediate lights out signifying teamwork makes the dreamwork. This performance had the audience applauding and screaming because of how refreshing the piece was. 

The fourth and final piece of the first set was called Women Gather, choreographed by Dr. Kariamu Welsh with reconstruction by Saleana Pettaway. Costumes were produced by Urwin. The dancers were Bell, Antonia Bengardino, Megan Burns, Brooke Butler, Valentina Chapa-Sosa, Fopeano, I’Jana Johnson, Julia Ricci, Julia Schilling, Ra’Chira Walker and Washington. The music was Live percussion by Baba Joe Bryant, Remix by Dj Ngozi. This dance was centered around Afro-beats and the energy of the dancers left a nice energy for everyone in the audience to vibe along with them. 

For the second set, the first dance to be performed was Living With Ghost, choreographed by Ross in collaboration with other dancers within the program. The music was excerpts from Rupture by Florent Ghys, Origins by Max Cooper, Dark Sky by Lost & Found, O pastor animarum by Hildegard Von Bingen and Help Me I AM in Hell by Nine Inch Nails.

The second dance within the set was titled Flamingos choreographed by Albert Quesada and Katie Vickers with costumes by Urwin. The music titled consists of, Droguita del experticio by Laila Tafur y Charo Martín, Feel the Wind at Your Back by Sounds of the Earth, Forest Nature Sounds Birds Singing for Relaxation Mindfulness & Meditation by Alba Audio, Malageña de Enrique El Mellizo y Aurelio Selles, Stani mi, Maytcho by Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares; Pregón del Mercado by rafael Jiménez Falo and Sangre Gitana y Mora by Lole y Manuel. 

Tethered Onto You was the next piece, which was a dynamic duet with Bolish and Butler, choreographed and costumed by Chapa-Sosa. The music titled was The Rest of Us by Colin Stetson. This dance represented teamwork with Bolish and Butler doing amazing stunts that wowed the audience.

The last dance to be performed was titled Better Together, choreographed by Lauren Putty White with costumes by Urwin. The song was titled What A Wonderful World and Kenner Boogie by Jon Batiste. The dancers were Chapa-Sosa, Kayla Jeremias, Little, Montetna, Jordan Pittari, Schilling, Tiffany Suarez, Jessica Thomas, Walker and Alexa Walsh. This dance represented kindness and community. The message was to show compassion to others, with the dance ending with a dancer holding a sign messaged “Kindness Matters.” The dancers received a standing ovation before the curtains closed.

To check out more performances that the PAC has to offer go Events – Performing Arts Center | Stockton University.