We danced with BC’s Dance Ensemble

This weekend, I had the opportunity to observe the Dance Ensemble prepare for their Spring show “Roulette,” which will take place on Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 pm.

Emily Durkin, treasurer of DE, said: “We wanted to choose a creative and engaging theme that appeals to all ages and audiences and thought Vegas was perfect.

“We really tried to incorporate all aspects of the Vegas theme in our show from our title ‘Roulette’ to our choreography and diverse music selection which features everything from Frank Sinatra to Britney Spears.”

I checked out their rehearsal, and it’s clear how hard the girls have been rehearsing this past year.  As choreographers, dancers, classmates, and friends, the ladies of Dance Ensemble will wow us all this weekend.

These girls do not waste any time.

Right when I arrived, the dancers were sitting in a circle discussing the events of the week and handing out information sheets and fliers. Without hesitation they moved quickly into an intense warm up that corresponded with really fun music. At this point I already started to regret that I’m not a dancer.

After warmups, they split into small groups and go over their specialty moves before reconvening and rehearsing their opening number. After every run through all the girls get together, ask questions, correct glitches, and then someone always says, “let’s run it again!”

Emily explained that once you’ve been a member for a year, you can then choreograph a dance and present it to the officers. If it is approved, you get the opportunity to have the other girls try out for your dance and then the choreographer gets to pick who will dance in that number.

These girls don’t have coaches. They don’t have someone motivating them to show up to practice except each other. Before attending this rehearsal, I had no idea how much of a time commitment it is. The outside commitment of picking songs, costumes, and choreographing really adds up. All the girls would agree that it is so worth it though.

I talked to a few of the girls one on one to hear  what they’re looking forward to most about this performance, but also what the seniors are going to miss the most about DE.

Kaitlyn Burrola, Senior, Nursing Major, Director of DE

Favorite Memory?

“The end of every show while we are dancing the finale and realizing what we’ve accomplished. We are all in it together which makes it special. It’s overall an amazing feeling!”

What will you miss most?

“The countless hours spent with DE and choreographing. Choreographing has been a great outlet for creativity and a great way to spend time with friends.”

Brielle Jones, Senior, Nursing, Member Relations for DE

Favorite memory?

“Performing in showdown my sophomore year in Conte. It was by far the most people I had ever performed in front of. There was incredible energy on stage. That was when I truly felt like DE was my home which was an amazing feeling.”

What will you miss the most?

“Rehearsals like this. On Sundays I can just get away from everything else and just dance with great girls.”

What’s a “can’t miss” from this performance?

“The Vegas theme is so cool and different from anything we’ve done in the past. We have great props and music too!”

Brielle is also choreographing the dance to “Sorry” 🙂

Olivia Duddy, Junior,  Biology 

Favorite memory?

“The 1980 show last year! It had to start late because the line was out the door to see us. The support from friends and family was unbelievable.”

What are you looking forward to most as a senior next year?

“I look forward to having more responsibilities and being able to construct the show! Every year, each dancer gets more and more responsibilities.”

What is a “can’t miss” from this performance?

“The opener… it’s our hardest one by far. There’s a lot of difficult aspects that took a lot of training and practice. We are not playing it safe lol.”

Jenny, Freshman, Biology major and Angela, Sophomore, Computer Science major

Jenny, how has DE helped you through your freshman year?

“I met some of my best friends through DE. It was really night to come in and have a great support system. Knowing upperclassmen is also a plus. I can go to any of them when I need advice and help with school! Dance has always been the one thing that has stayed constant over the past year. The transition from LA to BC was bearable because dance has always been there!”

Angela mentioned that if you want to follow any of the show week shenanigans follow her on snapchat: @angelahuang96 

Addison LeBeau, Sophomore, Marketing and IS concentration 

“This is my first real show with DE. It’s also my first real show week. We will be spending so much time together all week with rehearsals 4pm to midnight every day. The whole year leads to this one show, so it’s a big deal for us all!”

Roulette will be performed Friday, March 18th and Saturday, March 19th at 6:30 pm in Robsham. Tickets are now on sale through the Robsham website. For more information, check out the DE Facebook page.