Barnard and Columbia dancers took the stage in four show-stopping performances.

On April 26, 2025, dancers from the Barnard Dance Department presented their spring showcase in Miller Theatre. Featuring over 50 performers, the program consisted of four pieces overall, highlighting the strengths of the department across various genres. 

Starting off strong with “Drive,” dancers dressed in gray tones swept across the stage. Originally commissioned by New York City Center for the 2017 Fall for Dance Festival, the high-energy piece was choreographed by Kyle Abraham for his company Abraham.In.Motion (A.I.M) and represented by Tamisha Guy.

With the dancers’ jarring, frenetic movements, the piece evoked an eerily mechanical presence that was only further highlighted by the level of synchronization between the dancers. Throughout frequent solo performances within the piece, a crackly audio was played in the score, which only served to make every movement more pronounced by emphasizing the sharpness of each spiral and release.

As the music—first “Drive” by Theo Parrish and then “Quiet Storm Remix” by Mobb Deep and Lil’ Kim—reached crescendo, so too did the dancers’ movements. When the industrial themes of the first half moved on to more abstract choreography, the true extent of “Drive” was unveiled, with contemporary, dynamic phrasing that left the audience in thunderous applause. 

The next piece, which was choreographed by Jodi Melnick, “Esme, Ellis, Juniper,” began with four dancers entering the house and musicians on either end of the stage. The curtains were drawn, forcing the audience’s attention to remain downstage as the performers danced their way onto the apron. As the curtains opened, the full cast of dancers was later revealed. 

Dressed in loose-fitting white costumes, the dancers’ fluid movements captured the feeling of yearning for something that can never fully be actualized. The idea of never letting go and reaching indefinitely toward the audience gave the dance an almost trance-like, invigorating quality. 

The manipulation of form in this piece was also particularly noticeable, materializing in tight spins across the stage and dancers sliding under other dancers or lifting one another. Much of the dance took place in floorwork, allowing the choreographer to create an intimate relationship between the dancers and audience.

Named after its lively orchestration composed by Aram Khachaturian, Antonio Carmena’s “Masquerade Suite” offered a traditional ballet piece. The piano music was incredibly nostalgic, and coupled with the arresting dancers, made the piece feel like a coming-of-age story brought to life.

Dutifully adhering to the archetype of the ballerina, the dancers wore pastel pink and purple tutus. While the two dancers in pink presented a humorously youthful personality—even shooing the male dancers off the stage at some point—the two purple dancers seemed to embody a more grounded, mature version. Much of the performance evoked a rigid, classical style that was only broken by the self-satirizing shuffles of the ballerinas near the end, which felt like a light-headed nod by the choreographer to the suffocating techniques ballerinas are meant to adhere to.

The show ended with a fast-paced, powerful piece as live drumming reverberated throughout the room, signalling the beginning of “Tamala [traveler], choreographed by Maguette Camara. As someone who took African Dance I this semester, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the African dancers on the stage—their movements were effortlessly coordinated with the accuracy of their footwork, bringing the choreography I had learned in class into stunning relief. Their outfits—black tops, beaded necklaces, and patchwork skirts—were particularly notable.  

At one point, the dancers even brought their own drums onto the stage, blending the resounding beat of the drum with high-energy choreography. This medley of percussion and rapid movement around the drum is what made the final performance so distinctive, allowing the dancers to fully take center stage.

From modern to ballet to African dance, Barnard/Columbia Dances at Miller Theatre truly captured the essence of diversity and experimentation in the dance department. Beyond technical proficiency, each piece exemplified the passion that dancers take to the stage, reminding us of the enduring power of dance in our community.

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