A spotlight shone on a single dancer in the center of the stage, their shoulders shaking in time to the music, threading a psychedelic dream through repetitive choreography. Yes, this is the start of a Macalester dance show.
Macalester Theater & Dance put on their annual spring showcase this past weekend, on Fri. April 11 and Sat. April 12, in the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center. This year’s collection of pieces, titled “In Communion,” featured dances choreographed by both independent and student choreographers that explored themes of togetherness.
The opening number, “Restless,” choreographed by Marciano Silva dos Santos, a visiting assistant professor in dance, “embodies the physical manifestation of the turbulent feelings of complexities of anxiety and discontent,” according to the program.
Its bright-colored, psychedelic patterned costumes matched the frantic movements of the dancers, and the unnerving music characterized by a beat and squeaky door hinges furthered the feelings of agitation.
“Locusts,” choreographed and performed by Kai Illig ’25, “explores community and its role in resisting oppression,” and was inspired by grasshopper’s movements. Dancers began on separate sides of the dark stage, moving their limbs in repeated motions like locusts. They came together and apart through various lifts, with their movements posing questions about unity and strength in the collective versus the individual.
Ren Lindberg ’27 created the third piece, “Ribs,” as a “post-apocalyptic waste world, inhabited by creatures not quite human.” Its stormy music and lighting, and the motif of hands reaching out towards the expanse, explored feelings of yearning and desire.
Ally Mueller ’26, who has participated in the spring showcase every year she’s been at Macalester, performed in Lindberg’s piece.
“It’s more fun to do the choreography [by people] you know, because you get to see their personality come through,” Mueller said. “There was an opportunity for some very fast parts and some slower parts, and I enjoyed the incorporation of a lot of lifts and tricks.”
The longest piece of the collection, “Eternal Memory,” was done by guest choreographer Abdo Sayegh Rodríguez. Rodríguez’s piece “is inspired by those affected by memory loss, focusing on the emotions experienced by individuals as they age and the feelings we encounter when witnessing it.” Deeply emotional and touching, the choreography was more attuned to classical ballet than the other modern and contemporary genres mostly featured in “In Communion.”
“Eternal Memory” also brought set and lighting design into the spotlight through a slideshow of family photos backed by excerpts from Latin songs and a wooden box lowered from the rafters that dancers swung from and interacted with.
“Bodies of Water,” choreographed by independent choreographer Wynn Fricke to swelling music and recordings of blue whales, “describes shifting inner landscapes … of compulsion and agitation and … stillness and release.” This piece also had a prop element, with three dancers moving with wooden chairs and one moving freely and separately, investigating the interplay of the aforementioned emotions.
The last piece, rightfully saved for the finale, was choreographed by Cassandra Wright ’25 to “Sing, Sing, Sing,” by Benny Goodman and was titled “Dance, Baby, Dance.”
Reminiscent of a ’50s sock hop, the piece was “about joy, freedom, movement [and] celebration…” where dancers, including Mueller, playfully jested in skit-like dance-offs, partner switches, and can-cans.
“[Wright’s] choreography range is really big and goes from very scary and intense to what you saw Saturday, and her whole goal for it was to be super fun and make it silly and entertaining,” Mueller said. “The entire point was just to have as much as possible. And hopefully, that came across. We all had a blast every single time we did it.”
While the final dance was mostly choreographed, there were a few moments where performers were allowed to improvise and express themselves in solos and duets, all smiling and laughing along with the audience, together, in communion.
