As most of their daily lives unfold on College Hill, Brown students can become disconnected from the greater Providence community. The Movement dance show, created by Eliana Gutman '06 in the fall of 2004, strives to lessen this divide by inviting Providence and Brown dance groups to perform under the same roof.
The performance has become a fall semester staple, and with 12 Brown and three Providence-based dance groups performing Friday night, Movement's most recent show didn't disappoint.
A packed Salomon 101 cheered as members of Quisqueya in Action Youth Group began the show with a spirited Dominican skirt dance. The four smiling girls, by far the youngest performers of the evening, were an example of the positive impact of dance in Providence - something Movement hopes to foster.
"What's great is that all the money goes to charity," said Jayesh Needham '07, director of Attitude, the dance company that hosted and organized the event. Neeham said past Movement shows have raised roughly $1,500 for local dance programs. Friday's proceeds will go directly to three Providence groups: Quisqueya in Action, a local hip-hop group called Infinyt and Everett Dance Company, which provides underprivileged youth with professional-quality dance training.
Among the show's highlights were Brown Badma'ash, an Indian dance group that gracefully incorporated faux candles into their piece, and Divine Rhythm, a step group that literally shook the hall with their complex rhythmic patterns.
Dina Tsukrov '08 and Michael Hadley '07 were also noteworthy with their show-stopping performance of "Ballroom-Style Samba." As stated in the program, the pair combined "the sensuality of traditional afro-Cuban samba with the technique of Latin ballroom dance" and created an exquisitely performed two-person gem tucked amidst larger ensemble groups.
Well-known pop songs recurred throughout the showcase. Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back" blasted through the auditorium no fewer than three times, with Attitude and imPulse weaving the song into a medley of other pop hits.
In contrast to these large groups, The Brown Dance Extension pledged total allegiance to Timberlake, giving his oft-spun beat a fresh feeling by pairing it with the modern dance piece "Parsons Etude."
Companies such as the Bruinettes, OffBEAT and Amira Belly Dancing also gave solid efforts, pleasantly diversifying Movement's dance styles and pacing. Members of "What's on Tap?" - Brown's tap dance ensemble - wore cuffed blue jeans as they clicked through a collaborative piece inspired by the film "Rocky IV" called "Yo, Adrian!" Like many of the groups, "What's On Tap?" sacrificed solo performances to focus on purely collective dance arrangements.
Providence groups Mezmorize and Infinyt further captured the audience's attention with passionate hip-hop routines. Their moves were polished and precise - eliciting screams of excitement from the enlivened crowd.
The evening closed with a finale from Fusion Dance Company, a self-described "multi-cultural, multi-ethnic" group that seeks to include members of all different races and body types, according to the program. Its song choice of MIA's "Amazon," with its different elements of electronic, world music and funk, typified the group's philosophy as well as the inclusive aim of the entire Movement dance show.
