The Happenings of Dance was a student-run dance production that took place at MCCC’s West Windsor campus on November 21 and 22.
The student choreographers were Casey Koval, Nasir Jackson and Kayla Plunto.
The concert was done to provide Mercer choreography students the necessary experience in learning to choreograph, rehearse and perform their dances, as well as select them from auditions and the technical qualities that go behind such a performance.
However, Mercer students were not the only participants. Mercer Alumni came to audition for the concert. Guest choreographers included Mercer Alumni Rachel Sanchez and Diego Montealegre, along with current student Emma Bryce.
“I thought it was great, I thought the dancers were very expressive and that it flowed very nicely,” said audience member Sarah Negron.
The performance consisted of ten separate dances, spanning from fun and energetic to emotional and tragic. With themes of death, love and conflict, each routine was followed quickly by the next to keep the audience entertained.
Rebecca Brodowski, the instructor for the Dance 285 class, which is what puts this show on” and the “stage manager, director, all that goes along with that” helped teach these students how to create the show, run it, and practice it.
As a professor, Brodowski thought the showcase “was phenomenal. I think these dancers really got their message across to the audience, and I think all the hard work that they have put in really has shown through onto the stage.”
The hidden Blackbox room in the CM building was packed and the show was well received by the audience of locals, parents, and friends who said “we have phenomenal talent at Mercer” and “I thought it was great” or “fantastic.”
Montealegre thought the “dancers were all talented, very hardworking, and I think out of all our winter showcases this is the most exciting, diverse.”
The spring student dance showcase will be May 16 and 17 at 2 p.m. at the Kelsey Theater.
