Feb. 19–22 marked an exciting weekend for dance at Wheaton as the Annual Festival of Dance and TRYBE Gala brought together Wheaton’s best dance groups to perform in Weber Theatre. TRYBE, Tap Out Loud, and Paraiso Latino were the main groups featured, but the shows had guest performances from groups such as the Lymin’ Lyons, Voices United to Jam, Sole, Dance Company, and speaker Tyrek Greene ’15.
Tap Out Loud and Paraiso Latino put on a great performance at the Annual Festival of Dance. Tap Out Loud opened the night with a fun rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off,” in which the dancers were incredibly enthusiastic and energetic. Paraiso Latino opened with a dramatic yet delicate performance as the dancers’ silhouettes were projected on a backdrop, giving their intricate movements greater visibility. Later in the show, Tap Out Loud gave another lively and talented performance of “Walking on Sunshine.” The audience reacted particularly enthusiastically to the final performance put on by Paraiso Latino titled “El Tango de Roxanne” from Moulin Rouge— the intense drama and tension of the song were portrayed beautifully by three couples. The two dance groups gave a great performance, demonstrating the hard work and dedication that went into perfecting the dances.
The TRYBE Gala was also a great show filled with entertaining and passionate routines. Among them was the performance titled “Save Me From The Dark” choreographed by alumna Amy O’Neil. The choreography reflects Amy’s experience watching her friend suffer through a rare brain disease and the performance was incredibly intense and passionate. Another, more upbeat, performance was TRYBE’s performance with the Lymin’ Lyons. This piece was energetic and interactive as members of TRYBE danced in the audience as well as on the stage. Between performances, hosts Tyrek Greene ’15 and Saul Oremus ’15 entertained the audience through a friendly competition between three volunteer audience members. The Gala also featured a number of guest appearances from Voices United to Jam, Sole, Tyrek Greene, and the Lymin’ Lyons which only made the night’s performances more unique and entertaining.
The two events provided a great opportunity to celebrate the passion for dance that is clearly overwhelmingly present in our community. The weekends’ performances were an incredible display of the sheer amount of talent, passion, and dedication held by all the dance groups at Wheaton.