Dancers perform “community/individuality” to “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen in Smothers Theatre on Feb. 9. The program included multiple throwback songs along with modern music. Photos by Sammie Wuensche
Student dancers took to the stage for Dance in Flight in Smothers Theatre from Feb. 9 to 11. The directors landed on the theme of “Symbiosis“ to guide their choreography, aesthetic and musical choices, Producer and Campus Programs Coordinator Emily Rauch and Director Maya Kough wrote in the program.
Dance in Flight allows students to assume roles in directing, choreography, production, filming and dancing. Alongside Rauch and Kough, senior Annabella Nordlund was the student director and senior Kate Dalforno was the assistant student director of the show.
The company held auditions in August for dancers of all talents, Rauch and Kough wrote. They wrote they were excited to share the culmination of their six months of creating, rehearsing and refining with the Pepperdine community.
“‘Symbiosis’ represents people from all different backgrounds crossing paths and sharing their passions and love for dance with one another,” said sophomore Simone Chaddha, dancer, choreographer and director of marketing.
First-year Timmy Wu stands in the spotlight during “inner self/outer self” in Smothers Theatre on Feb. 9. This number was about “the relationship between who we are when we’re alone and who we present to the world,” Rauch and Kough wrote.
The theme of “Symbiosis” explored the interactions and ties between counterparts. This theme was portrayed in the titles and visuals of the performances: “community/individuality,” “ebb/flow,” “control/abandon,” “conflict/resolution,” “conformity/resistance,” “mentor/student,” “i/colony,” “anxious/avoidant,” “water/earth/fire/air,” “mother/daughter,” “recognition/provision,” “inner self/outer self,” “body/mind” and “ending/beginning.”
“‘Symbiosis’ to me means a sense of community and belonging to a whole,” first-year dancer Kaualilikoikekai Abrigo said. “It is the act of relying on each other, so both parties benefit in a harmonious manner.”
In between each act, a glowing circle lit the stage with filmed footage of the dancers paired with simple and repetitive phrases.
Kate Dalforno and Annabella Nordlund perform “recognition/provision” to “Riverside” by Agnes Obel in Smothers Theatre on Feb. 9. Dalforno and Nordlund choreographed their own number.
“One of my favorite parts of the show is our transition visuals in between the routines,” Chaddha said. “Our assistant student director Kate Dalforno filmed the dancers during the Dance in Flight photoshoot from a birdseye view with a drone. The footage came together so well.”
Abrigo said dancers in the show spent countless hours rehearsing and dedicated their Saturdays since September to make sure the show was perfect. She said she has been dancing since the age of 2 and Dance in Flight provided her with the perfect opportunity to continue dancing in college.
Similarly, first-year Audrey Costa, dancer and choreographer, said Dance in Flight helped her to quickly find her place within the Pepperdine community.
“Throughout this chaotic world we must find security and support in others,” Costa said. “Dance in Flight has been a sense of support and comfort for me during the transition into college life.”
Audrey Costa, Kate Dalforno, Annabella Nordlund, Sophia Douville, Kaitlyn Gerrick, Makena Swenski and Reagan Wexelman dance en-pointe in Smothers Theatre on Feb. 9. This number was named “ebb/flow” and “imitated the movement of the tide,” Rauch and Kough wrote.
The show included multiple dance styles — jazz, ballet, tap, contemporary, hip-hop and more. The numbers also incorporated many popular songs like “Fireball” by Pitbull, “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen and “Amazing” by Rex Orange County.
“My favorite parts of the show are Simone’s jazz funk number, Annabella’s contemporary and all the transition videos,” Costa said. “I love all the pieces and genuinely wish I could be in every single one of them.”
Dance in Flight had four nearly sold-out shows and sophomore Ava Moreno said the show left a lasting impression on her as an audience member.
“The show was amazing and the artistry was beautiful,” Moreno said. “It made me want to take up dancing again.”
Dancers perform “ending/beginning” to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen in Smothers Theatre on Feb. 9. This piece was choreographed to illustrate the “consistency of time and the symbiosis between endings and beginnings,” Rauch and Kough wrote.
Abrigo said the show embodies the “Symbiosis” through a shared passion for dance. She said the dancers have to rely on each other to express their combined joy outwardly with the audience.
“My favorite moment when performing is waiting on stage for the curtain to come up,” Abrigo said. “It reminds me of the thrill of not only dancing but why I love to dance — to express the message and stories through movement in hopes that the audience will be moved.”
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Email Milena D’Andrea: milena.dandrea@pepperdine.edu
