The Synergy Dance Company captivated audiences during their show, Sojourn, with imaginative dances choreographed by students, faculty and guest artists Justin Bass and Laura Brick-Kempski Nov. 30 in the Ragan Theater.
Amazing costuming and lighting added to the show, but it was the talents of the dancers and choreographers that made it memorable. The dancers moved in perfect sync and put passion into every second of each number. There was not a moment where their hard work was not recognized.
“It’s been a long journey. We’ve been working on these pieces all semester, so it’s wonderful to see it pay off after three months of work,” UVU freshman and dancer Daemion Marcuz said.
The show featured a range of diverse numbers, each impacting the audience. It started with Another Terra Firma, a pulsing number that grew in intensity as the music sped up. When it ended, it seemed like the audience released a collectively held breath from the aggressive performance that introduced the show.
Lie was a chilling piece that began in silence then grew into an intensive dance with whispers echoing from the speakers as the dancers performed with duct tape on their mouth.
In Esse Mulierem, dancers shouted phrases like, “Strong, independent, society, women, delicate, maintain image,” giving a creative take on society’s expectations for women expressed with fervor.
In Nevermore, dancers dressed in black moved as if they were ravens, with facial expressions that added to the dark mood of the dance. In Anomalocaris, set with an ocean backtrack, dancers took the shapes of and moved like creatures of the sea. UVU senior Tara Meredith, who choreographed the piece, said her interest in evolution inspired her to choreograph this number.
“I researched prehistoric fish. I pulled from underwater elements and took imagery from the pictures I found and abstracted it from there,” Meredith said.
Serenity within Calamity closed the performance perfectly through the use of mixed tricks and fluid movements set to the music of Amon Tobin and U2.
The magic of dance is its ability to evoke feelings through passionate expressions and tell stories with music and movement. The dance company did just that. The performance teleported the audience to new settings through the use of lights, music and dance that evoked emotions.
“It was amazing,” UVU junior and dancer Isabella Arnett said. “All the choreographers were fantastic and had great ideas and I feel like we all [came] together as a company and really made this show be what it is.”
