Dancing at its Finest

Dance has always been a passion of mine ever since I was a young girl. As many of you know I am an Indian Classical dancer, but I have always been a fan of ballet and tap in particular. I think it is because they were two dance forms that I was never able to try. Watching the Fall for Dance Festival last week was an amazing experience because we were able to see four completely different types of dances. While all four performances each had their uniqueness, the ones that stood our to me the most included the dances performed by the Miami City Ballet and Dorrance Dance Company.

I think many can agree with me that Dorrance Dance blew them away. I really enjoyed watching this dance because of its modern aspects. This performance included elements of tap and hip-hop in all of their moves. It was not just your traditional tap dance, but instead it was a more contemporary version which paid attention to every single beat that was being delivered by the musicians. This dance was so unique in itself because it included the elements of street and experimental dance, not just tap. All of the dancers’ movements were dynamic and extremely compelling. One of the things that differed from all of the other performances was the music. I loved how you could see the musicians playing their instruments and switching between the different instruments. I found it mesmerizing to see the musicians in their element. The music that the dancers were dancing to was very grunge and easy to jam to which is why I think I loved this one much. Also, I liked how all of the dancers were wearing different outfits, whereas, in the other three dances, the dancers were wearing the same outfits. I think the different outfits added to the unity and wholeness of the piece even more. Not once during this performance did I find myself bored or wanting to leave, in fact, I could not take my eyes off of the stage for a second. Through every “clap” of their tap shoes I could feel their passion was radiating and vibrating. 

In comparison to the Dorrance Dance performance, the Miami City Ballet performance was more classical and focused on traditional ballet. The Miami City Ballet performers were very coordinated and fluid in every step they took. All of their movements including the lifts and the rolls were exhibited so effortlessly and delicately. I was astonished by the flexibility of the dancers and the way they moved their bodies and lifted themselves as if they weighed nothing. This dance focused a lot on the connection between the male dancer and the female dancer. It was interesting to see they way the interacted with each other and at times even danced as one. Together the four couples worked with each other to deliver an amazing performance overall. I can only imagine how much practice, hard work, and dedication must have been put into producing this flawless masterpiece.