“A joy to watch”: a review of Classical Modern Dance’s ‘Encore!’

I am not a dancer, but when I entered CMD’s showcase, Encore!, I immediately felt like a part of the university’s dance community. With CMD collaborating with EQHO and Warwick Tap, this show truly was an encore, and a celebration of the performers’ dedication to Warwick’s dance societies. The combination of being sat next to a very proud dad, and the constant cheers of a group of students at the back of the audience, provided a sense of how fundamental dance and these societies are to the lives of the dancers.

Encore! was thoughtfully planned, with the different styles of dance taking place in a varied order. This meant that there was alternation between the softer numbers, such as Advanced Jazz’s Tous Les Memes and Natasha Moore’s solo, and some incredibly fun, upbeat dances, such as Intermediate Jazz’s performance to a compilation of Britney Spears. This sequencing meant the show was alive and exciting, and that the audience was always in anticipation of the coming dance.

Her expressive and character-full style made it captivating for the audience

Bethany Chan’s solo, Run to the Open, was exceptional. Her expressive and character-full style made it captivating for the audience. Choreographing around the sounds of the raindrops in the song made the performance satisfying and fun, as proved by the loud response it elicited from a vocal group of supporters. Bethany ended this, along with many of the dances she performed, with a sassy glance towards the crowd which repeatedly brought the house down.

Warwick Tap made their entrance with Umbrella. The Rihanna number was reduced in tempo a little in a jazzier cover, which, combined with their use of umbrellas for props, resulted in a charming performance which encapsulated the warm atmosphere of the society.

EQHO’s medley, Get Busy, instantly caught the audience’s attention. The hip hop dance society performed a high-energy sequence which showcased the society’s attention to popping and Afro-style dance. I attended Encore! with a friend who has previous dance experience and EQHO’s performance made her determined to join the society next year. It seemed to be a fun and friendly society which produced one of the highlights of the first half of the show.

It encapsulated the happiness the finalists have found in dance, CMD and each other

The second half of Encore! featured lots of performances which really told stories. Cassylda Augusto Rodrigues and Faith Newman’s duet to the emotive soundtrack of You Say expressed friendship and shared strength, whilst Bethany Chan and Adrian Lawrence’s dance to Christina Aguilera’s feminist anthem Fall in Line was a performance of female empowerment. Adrian entered carrying an impassive Bethany, but after moves portraying defiance and progress, roles were reversed as Bethany exited, triumphant, holding Adrian. Adrian’s solo was also moving; he danced in a way which expressed masculine vulnerability and his emotion was clear – making it a touching dance. He has since explained the ideas behind his choreography, which centred around the bittersweet nature of growing older.

One of the most noticeable things about the show were the faces that recurred in almost every dance. The likes of Adrian, Lottie and Natasha Moore could be seen again and again. They, amongst others, are clearly the lifeblood of CMD, and the joy dance brings them was seen in Lottie’s constant smile while she danced.

The most memorable performance was the finalists’ dance to Natalie Cole’s Everlasting Love. With the number most likely being the last dance the students will perform at the university, the performers were clearly making the most of it. This dance was a joy to watch and, from the looks of it, to perform. As the last dance, it was a superb song choice to sum up the mood of the night, and it encapsulated the happiness the finalists have found in dance, CMD and each other. As the dancers laughed and hugged at the close of the dance, it was clear that the friendships and experiences gained from their time in CMD would remain with them beyond Warwick.