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come! see! orchesis
Elle Ferguson, Bwog staff writer and future dance editor, takes a sneak peek at Orchesis’s performance during their dress rehearsal.
Orchesis, the largest dance group on campus will be performing this weekend in the Roone Arledge Auditorium. Their dress rehearsal on Thursday promised an amazing show for all audience members.
The first piece of the show starts off with a high level of energy and nicely transitions into the next work, a more serious but still enthralling contemporary choreography to “Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man. These dancers stood out particularly for their contrast between sharp and flowy movements. A big shoutout to Michaela Fleischer for literally soaring above my expectations. The rest of the first act is nicely balanced between energetic hip-hop styles and tasteful contemporary pieces.
The second act of the performance starts with a somber lyrical work and then picks up the pace again with an upbeat hip-hop piece that brings energy to the stage that is sometimes lacking in other pieces. One that especially captured my attention was a lyrical piece to Carol King’s “No Easy Way Out.” The dancers in this work moved well together and effectively expressed the tone of the music through their choreography. The rest of the pieces generally sustain this high level of energy and will surely end the night with the audience surely wishing they had auditioned in September.
Seeing “Versace on the FloOrchesis” this weekend will be the entertaining study break you need this weekend. Executive directors Kyra Schindler (BC ‘20) and Melody Tai (CC ‘19) have pulled together a complete and thrilling show despite the logistical challenges they have met this semester. Michaela Fleischer, a freshman at Barnard College described Orchesis as a “very positive experience” with a “welcoming community.”
orchesis! via Facebook
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2 Comments
@Zoe Hi! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the show:) I actually choreographed one of the pieces that you referenced while I appreciate your kind words, I feel the need to clarify a few things and give myself the credit for the choreography that you failed to. For one, the piece was to “No Easy Way Down,” (not “out”) by Carole (not Carol) King. Additionally, this was not a lyrical dance. If you are looking to categorize dance into a genre, I would call it contemporary.
Also, regardless of my piece, Melody Tai was the chair of Orchesis, Kyra Schindler the Producer, and Debby Song the Treasurer. Together they made up the 2018 Orchesis Executive Board.
If you really do want to audition, you totally should!! Auditions will be held for the spring 2019 show the first weekend of classes in January. Follow @columbiaorchesis on Instagram and like Orchesis: A Dance Group on FaceBook for updates!
@Sanjana Hi! Fellow choreographer and lover of Orchesis chiming in!
In addition to Zoe’s comments, I just wanted to give credit to the other uncredited choreography in the article.
“The first piece of the show [that] starts off with a high level of energy” was choreographed by Sarah Hanrahan to “Machine” by MisterWives.
The “enthralling contemporary choreography to “Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man” was by Chelsea Jean-Michel.
The second act opener labeled “a somber lyrical work” was choreographed by Kosta Karakashyan to “Chains” by Matt Corby.
The “upbeat hip-hop piece that brings energy to the stage” was choreographed by Yaël Cohen to “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran.
In the future, conversing with members of Orchesis board, choreographers, and more dancers as well as referring to our informative programs to write reviews will help present a more representative and accurate picture of the incredible production lots of people put huge amounts of work into all semester :)
And of course, to learn more about who we are, check out our Instagram (@columbiaorchesis) and Facebook (Orchesis: A Dance Group)!