Get Movin'!

Faithful readers will recall our family's having enjoyed last spring's performance by Form & Fusion, the dance company at Dickinson State University. This year's performance (tonight!) was no exception. Males from football, wrestling, track & field, and theatre joined females representing a wide cross-section of campus in choreographing their own routines, building their own costumes, and coordinating the music and lights with professional and student behind-the-scenes staff to create an evening of dance: jazz, modern, tap, lyrical, and musical theatre.

I had a banquet to attend on campus beforehand (featured speaker: Terry Fleck, "The Attitude Doctor"--very entertaining!), so I just met Susan and the girls at the Stickney Auditorium on campus in time for the dance performance. It was, once again, very impressive. The place was packed, and I loved seeing that those in attendance represented a broad range of ages (little kids to college students to adults to senior citizens) and populations (arts patrons, business persons, university faculty and staff, university athletes, American students, Caribbean students, Asian students, etc.).

Two annoyances: There was a lot of dead time between numbers as dancers took their sweet time changing from one costume into the next (which was forewarned by their artistic director in advance during her address to the house, but that excused nothing, in my opinion), and there was a lot of chatter by the attendees seated behind us during the numbers . . . not during the ample down time between numbers, no, but during the numbers themselves. The music was cranked to the highest volume allowable, and still the people behind us strove (successfully) to outdo it and speak above the music in order to share with one another (and with everyone else within earshot) such time-sensitive and crucial-to-communicate remarks as, "Boy, she's really moving, isn't she?" and "Wow, look at his muscles." My thoughts: SHUT! UP!

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the performance and were glad to be able to congratulate some of the dancers afterward as they gathered at the foot of the stage to receive accolades from exiting attendees. The music is still running through my mind, reminding me of the dancers' movements, and making me feel more than a little bit like dancing myself! I'd like to share that feeling with you! Here is some of the music used for tonight's dance routines. Draw your blind, crank up your speakers, click on the links, and get movin' yourself!

• "Freedom" by Nicole C. Mullen
• "Xiyige" by Hong Han [Can anyone find this one on-line? Here's a song sung by Hong Han, but I don't think it's the one used by Form & Fusion.]
• "In the End" by Kat Deluna
• "Mueve la Cadera" by Reel 2 Real
• "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap [I love this song!]
• "Mr. Pinstripe Suit" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddies
• "About Fun" by Psapp [Weird! It inspired a quirky dance, that's for sure!]
• "New Day" by Kate Havnevik
• "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Dallas Brass [Hear this group perform the theme from The Incredibles here!]
• "Aureus" and "Rain One" by Nitin Sawhney [samples available here]
• "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice [I love this song!]
• "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" from Company by Stephen Sondheim
• "Radar" by Britney Spears and "Feedback" by Janet Jackson
• "Different Trains" by Steve Reich
• "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by The Andrews Sisters
• "The Moment I Said It" by Imogen Heap