(Christina Parrish)
The Division of Dance wrapped up its final Brown Bag performance Friday in front of one of the biggest audiences of the spring series.
Brown Bag is a one-week series held once in the fall and once in the spring semester. Performances are free in the lobby of Owens Fine Arts Center and are held at noon to encourage the audience to bring “brown bag” lunches to enjoy while watching the show.
This year’s series featured original pieces in ballet, modern, tap and jazz. The 11 performances ranged from classical to contemporary dance styles. Meadows dance students choreographed each piece and selected the cast, music and costumes, making each performance unique
“Brown Bag gives me such a way to express myself as a student artist,” choreographer Alex Karigan said. “I can use my own work to express myself, and that’s the ultimate goal.”
Karigan collaborated with her good friend Zach Hammer in a lively, spunky performance titled “Goodnight.” Their enthusiasm and charisma excited the crowd as a continuous flow of cheers filled the room throughout their performance.
“My piece was particularly special because we’re very close friends, and it was a way through movement to show our personalities,” Karigan said. “I don’t know if it’s possible to dance your personality, but I think we tried.”
Expressing personality is evident in each dance. The music and movements convey the choreographer’s personal qualities, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
Winning a spot in Brown Bag is competitive process. At the beginning of each semester, volunteer choreographers select their cast and begin rehearsing their routines. Two weeks into rehearsals, each prospective choreographer auditions with their cast in front of a faculty member of the dance department. The number of pieces is narrowed down, and selected choreographers continue rehearsing with their cast members.
About 18 different choreographers auditioned for the spring Brown Bag, and 11 routines were chosen. One of the most energetic dances was a staging of an authentic African dance that celebrates a woman’s rite of passage.
Titled “Sarsonnet,” live music was played on drums as various dancers dressed in colorful ensembles brought the house down. The beat of the drums lifted the audience’s spirit as they watched each woman perform her solo.
Audience involvement and recognition is what inspires and motivates dancers to keep auditioning their routines every year.
“The best part of Brown Bag is that people all around campus come to see it and support Meadows,” senior choreographer Jenny Gillan said. “It’s very rewarding to get an audience like that.”
Gillan choreographed two routines, one a duet with her good friend Patrick Leahy. In “Fermata,” Leahy and Gillan gave a passionate performance using a costume prop of a long sash tied at their waists.
The show concluded with a vibrant retro-themed number called “Do the Wrong Thing.” Dancers wore dark sunglasses and ’80s-inspired costumes as they jammed to music from the Lounge Lizards.
The spring Brown Bag marked the 24th season of the series, and the last under director Karen Kriete. At the end of the show, each dancer held a rose and presented all 48 roses, signifying each show she has directed, to Kriete in honor of her much-appreciated directing skills.
