The spotlight was on AU in Motion this weekend as the dancers took the stage for the Fall Showcase.
This year’s showcase took place Nov. 18 and 19 in Greenberg Theatre packed with students, family and faculty. For the final performance Saturday night, AU in Motion performed in front of a completely sold out crowd.
The showcase featured performances ranging from modern, lyrical and ballet dances to hip-hop, dubstep and Bollywood dances.
“I like that there were so many different dance styles for this performance,” said Danielle Poupart, campus outreach director of AU in Motion and a College of Arts and Sciences student. “It’s really interesting to try new styles of dance that I have never done before. It’s a great way to meet people that you wouldn’t normally meet and you all have the common interest of dance.”
In the beginning of the performance, Artistic Director Alina Imam urged the audience to show their cheer for the dancers, creating an exciting and enthusiastic atmosphere for both the dancers and the audience members.
The showcase began with a dance to a series of dubstep songs, which pumped up the crowd for the show. The performers sported Jabbawockeez-like masks as they performed the opening dance to remixes by artists such as Daft Punk and Chromeo.
Dances that followed in the first act included a hip-hop performance to “Come and Get it” by Sean Paul, a trans-Siberian rock ballet to the tune of “A Mad Russian’s Christmas” and a hip-hop dance, performed by some of the dancers in high heels, featuring music by artists such as Will.i.am, Carmen Beretta and Nicki Minaj.
This year was the first time AU in Motion joined with another on campus organization for the Fall Showcase.
The AU Bhangra club performed an amazing traditional Bhangra dance with some not-so-traditional quirks. The beautiful outfits and catchy beats of the Bhangra style of dance got the entire crowd moving.
Act 2 included a Bollywood performance, a modern/lyrical performance to the song “Turning Tables” by Adele, a samba featuring music by Ricky Martin and Metro Station, an Irish dance and another hip-hop performance to music from Lady GaGa, Missy Elliot, Nicki Minaj and Pitbull.
The showcase closed to a dance to Flo Rida’s “Turn Around” by the entire cast, after which the audience members gave the performers a standing ovation.
“AU in Motion is just completely different than anything else that I do,” said Mike Naumenko, a junior in the School of International Service. “Come to our performances and if you show interest and you come out and audition there’s a good chance that you’ll join and be awesome like the rest of us.”
