Mikaela Wong | Staff Writer
Western Oregon University’s annual Spring Dance Concert commenced over the weekend, May 9-11, and with it, brought intricate dance routines incorporating styles such as ballet, neo-classical, and contemporary. The various dance styles were accented by bold costumes and makeup which further emphasized the themes of each piece.
One piece called “To Become Without Fear” consisted of black clothing, dark makeup and jerky movements which highlighted the theme of conquering one’s fears and hardships in hope for a better life. Ali McCarthy, a senior English major, expressed the difficulties she faced portraying a much more intimidating style of dance.
“I’m so used to doing ‘pretty’ kind of dancing which is more flowy, has proper movements and is a lot of fluid (movements),” said McCarthy. “This is more scary, edgy and like possessed kind of dancing so it got me out of my comfort zone.”
Sharon Oberst, one of the main choreographers, announced her retirement after 32 loyal years in the school’s dance department. Her piece, “End Pointe”, captured both the beauty of the pointe dance technique and the sentiment of the end of her legacy at Western. Pointe is a form of classical ballet and is a technique that requires the dancer to support all their body weight on the tips of their fully extended feet whilst wearing specific pointe shoes which have special material in the front to support them.
Eva Batenhorst, a junior pursuing a double major in dance and biology, was the soloist in Oberst’s piece and expressed her gratitude to the soon-to-be-retired choreographer.
“This the final dance that she choreographed for it and she blessed me with a solo in it, so that’s awesome,” said Batenhorst. “I haven’t done a pointe (piece) since senior year in high school and this will also be my last time doing a pointe piece.”
The final piece of the show was called “Into the Mystic” and seized the attention of the audience through mesmerizing light-up props and baton spinning while telling an enticing love story. The intricacy of the movements along with the long duration of the piece itself made the skills of the dancers even more palpable.
Throughout the show, various dancers in different costumes performed expressive pieces that showcased not only their physical capabilities, but also their ability to portray emotion through facial expressions, interactions between dancers and purposeful body movements. The variety of dances included dancers from all kinds of different backgrounds and experiences, while the clean-cut dance routines and articulate costumes reflected the hard work and practice that the dance department had invested in the last six months.
“We try to take it as professionally as we can and not a lot of people realize how much we really put in,” said McCarthy. “Everybody has a place here which is nice because you can have any level and someone is going to find a place for you.”
Contact the author at mwong16@wou.edu
Photos by Paul F. Davis
