April 1, 2024
By Summer Kiswani, Phoenix staff writer
The opening night of the “Body Language” dance show at GSU was an incredible experience. The show was directed by Megan Lindsay and featured a talented cast of dancers and choreographers.
The show covered cultural themes, including work culture, hip-hop culture, African culture, religion, and more, in less than two hours.
The first act of the show started off strong with a group of female dancers who all simultaneously imitated writing with a pen and working nonstop. “Over work” represented how relentless work culture can be in today’s generation, and was very relatable.
This was followed by an African American cultural performance titled “Incantation.” This looked ritualistic and was very interesting to watch. The wind and water sounds really immersed the audience into the aesthetic of the dance.
“Hip-Hop Central,” “Resilience,” and “Rhythm in Motion” were all dedicated to hip-hop culture. This was presented very well through the choreography and clothing. They featured multiple hip-hop songs and artists, including Timbaland and Michael Jackson.
“Enliven” featured an all-female group with six girls in groups of three. The song “False Confidence” by Noah Kahan fit the theme of this performance really well, since it seemed to symbolize lifting each other’s spirit and confidence.
One of my personal favorites was “Leviticus.” This religious-themed performance featured 10 female dancers, with nine of them dressed in an angelic white and one dressed in a dark gray. The ones in white dresses shamed and bullied the one in the dark dress, as if they were punishing her for her sins. The emotion and drama put into this one was captivating.
“Outfoxed” was a female empowerment segment that featured seven female dancers and one male. The seven females were dressed in sequin leotards and performed a dance routine using a set-up of chairs. The male showed attraction towards all of the dancers and approached each one. The girls seemed to go along with it at first, until they ultimately united against him, scaring him away.
After a brief intermission, the second act started up with a lot of energy. “Daydreams of Dancing” featured a girl watching a 1970s music video on a screen, which transitioned into a 1970s disco ball dance, featuring the song “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa.
“From Me to You” was a short and fun dance number by another all-female group. This was followed by “Desire,” which was very similar to “Outfoxed.” It showcased another group of females doing a sensual dance routine with one male joining in.
The next dance number titled “Man-Made: Empower our Men” had everyone in the audience cheering. This featured four males who performed a groovy and attractive dance routine to a medley of James Brown songs. This seemed to be a fan-favorite, filling the whole auditorium with excitement, cheers, and applause.
“Preparing a Place for You,” which featured an African American male and female dance group, was the next act. All of the dancers were dressed in old-fashioned work clothing while performing a dance routine involving flags. This was a representation of African American history, and symbolized the fight for freedom.
The penultimate dance titled “The Ultimate Guide” represented two females who appeared to be struggling and in low spirits. Then they were each joined by their Holy Spirits, who empowered them. The last performance of the night, “Allured,” was a fun and upbeat dance number featuring bright red dresses performed to the song “Americano” by Lady Gaga.
The dancers and choreographers did a phenomenal job with their performances. The show featured a variety of important themes and cultures with beautiful storytelling, as well as a great selection of music. This deserves a 10/10 and would highly recommend it!