It must be acknowledged that LUU possesses a fantastic range of talented dancers. The creativity, skill and range that was presented on Friday night is something to be proud of. The Dance Competition was professionally run and well put together by Backstage Society and was also well presented by the always entertaining Dance Rep, Lauren Huxley.
It was commendable to see how many strong and creative women were presenting work. In the wider context of the creative industries where men often dominate creative roles, it was refreshing to see a range of talent here at the union. It was first brought to my attention with an Irish Dance troupe performing to Beyonce‘s ‘Who Run the World?’ which was brought to life by the rhythmic tapping of hard shoes.
‘It was commendable to see how many strong and creative women were presenting work’
As proven by their triumphant win, LUU Street Dance presented the most complete performance of the evening. Everything was painstakingly considered; the choreography, costumes, tricks, characterisation, timing and precision all came together. Similarly, Vibes Bollywood Dance illustrated great skill at creating a whole performance, an experience for the audience that was consistent, exciting and completely entertaining.
The standard was set high from the beginning and the efforts from societies such as LUU Belly Dance and Vertical Fitness showed great passion, which forgave some of the more stagnant parts of their performances.
The Ballet Society’s performance, while enjoyable to watch, was missing the dynamic range to foreground the slower, peaceful sections. Perhaps more variety in the shapes and levels used would have given the piece more life. Vertical Fitness were another group who have undeniable levels of technical skills, strength and stamina and show great potential in future performances.
Chinyere Wokocha gave a standout performance and while some dancers performed with more confidence then others, it is hope that any future performances will allow them to expand and fully adopt the role of a confident dancer. Lucy Stoddart also gave a phenomenal performance during her solo which rounded off a wonderful evening for all involved.
Alice Boulton-Breeze
(Image courtesy of LUU Vertical Fitness)