Area dance talents merge to one
Andrew Simson
Issue date: 12/5/06 Section: Entertainment
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Abuzz with the excited murmurs of the crowd, the fall dance festival was a 90-minute showcase featuring 14 performances of dance groups from Atlantic and Spruce Creek high schools, Valencia, Tallahassee and Daytona Beach community colleges and Bethune-Cookman College.
It drew a diverse crowd ranging from small toddlers to the elderly who were all enthusiastic and seemed to enjoy everything presented.
Despite being well-rehearsed, a performance to Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" by the Spruce Creek Papillon Dance Club did nothing for some. And the presentation by Atlantic High School's Nautica Dance Ensemble, "Wait" by Sarah Mclachan also fell into this category: well performed, but lacking in a significant emotional connection.
DBCC, which had the bulk of the performance load, offered an interesting display of talent. "Annihilating Rhythm," a solo tap by Shannon Bleakley was an early bright spot. "Journey Towards the Within," was a number choreographed by Kevin Veiga that included Bleakley along with Spring Davidson, Simeon Newton, Vanessa Chiriboga and Jackie Hodson. It was an unusual piece that left the viewer a bit confused as to its motivation.
Performances by Tallahassee, "'Breathe," choreographed and performed by Laurel Leavesly, along with Lini Jackson and Abby Perraza, and Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," performed and choreographed by Whitney Tenhoeve and Crystal Draper, also left a bad taste in my mouth.
Despite the stellar lighting effects and well chosen music for both numbers, there wasn't really anything that left an impression.
Two other performances from Tallahassee, a dance to "Firefly" and Carla Lester's solo self-choreographed performance Screaming Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You," were both amazing and redeeming.
Other highlights of the night included riveting pieces by Valencia dancers, who performed "Flight of the Technosapiens," along with performances from DBCC's own Jennifer L. Davis who danced to "Once Chance" by Donny Hathaway. Another bright spot was a duet by Davis and Simeon Newton, whose sequence to "Bathwater" by No Doubt was a back-and-forth dance duel of attitude, flirtation and frustration.
It drew a diverse crowd ranging from small toddlers to the elderly who were all enthusiastic and seemed to enjoy everything presented.
Despite being well-rehearsed, a performance to Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" by the Spruce Creek Papillon Dance Club did nothing for some. And the presentation by Atlantic High School's Nautica Dance Ensemble, "Wait" by Sarah Mclachan also fell into this category: well performed, but lacking in a significant emotional connection.
DBCC, which had the bulk of the performance load, offered an interesting display of talent. "Annihilating Rhythm," a solo tap by Shannon Bleakley was an early bright spot. "Journey Towards the Within," was a number choreographed by Kevin Veiga that included Bleakley along with Spring Davidson, Simeon Newton, Vanessa Chiriboga and Jackie Hodson. It was an unusual piece that left the viewer a bit confused as to its motivation.
Performances by Tallahassee, "'Breathe," choreographed and performed by Laurel Leavesly, along with Lini Jackson and Abby Perraza, and Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," performed and choreographed by Whitney Tenhoeve and Crystal Draper, also left a bad taste in my mouth.
Despite the stellar lighting effects and well chosen music for both numbers, there wasn't really anything that left an impression.
Two other performances from Tallahassee, a dance to "Firefly" and Carla Lester's solo self-choreographed performance Screaming Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You," were both amazing and redeeming.
Other highlights of the night included riveting pieces by Valencia dancers, who performed "Flight of the Technosapiens," along with performances from DBCC's own Jennifer L. Davis who danced to "Once Chance" by Donny Hathaway. Another bright spot was a duet by Davis and Simeon Newton, whose sequence to "Bathwater" by No Doubt was a back-and-forth dance duel of attitude, flirtation and frustration.
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