On April 18 and 19, the Lewis & Clark Dance Collective performed their annual Dance Y show, highlighting student dancers and choreographers. The Agnes Flanagan Chapel pews were filled with excited and supportive students watching their peers perform impressive, diverse dances.
According to an introduction to the show by the LC Dance Collective, Dance Y is an annual spring tradition meant to provide student choreographers with a place to showcase their creative work and dancers of various experience levels an outlet to perform. The show is unique as it is entirely student-run, unlike LC’s other major dance event, Dance X. This year, the show featured 13 pieces and over 60 students with diverse styles of dancing and music.
One of the Collective’s broad goals according to the show’s program, is to “celebrate movement in all forms and embrace dance as a conduit for connection and community for personal expression, joy, and vulnerability.”
This year’s show certainly lived up to that purpose. The contrast between each performance was remarkable and gave the audience a variety of styles to enjoy, including some they may have never seen before.
Each of the student performances created an infectious and joyous energy that gained loud cheering from the crowd. This included more conventionally popular dances and known songs like Tyler, The Creator’s “St. Chroma,” as well as less widely-known songs in foreign languages and comparatively relaxing melodies. The student-choreographed dances excellently matched the songs, with many featuring flowing, synchronized movement for lyrical melodies and energetic, bouncy steps for upbeat rhythms. Many students also displayed spectacular dancing and acrobatic skills with flips, jumps and spins, awing audience members, who answered with uproarious cheers. All of the performers were spectacular and displayed a high level of work, something uniquely impressive considering that some students were beginners.
The show’s costuming was also exquisite and added to the aesthetics and storytelling of the great performances. Most performances featured matching costumes, creating a satisfying unity between dancers. Some incorporated flowing fabrics that moved elegantly to create tranquil movement or sparkling elements that caught the eye.
Not only did dancers create a fantastic show, but the crew behind the sound and lights also helped create a magical atmosphere. Many performances featured bright, colorful lighting that helped define the overall mood of dances and outlined the silhouettes of dancers. For instance, a contemporary dance piece choreographed by Izzy Goodwin ’26 called “From Flesh to Feather” matched blue lighting and costuming to evoke the feeling of an ocean.
The range among dance styles and performances was another significant part of the show. The Cheer and Step team performed, displaying amazing coordination and synchronization, drawing several roars from the crowd. Belly Dance Club also performed, captivating the audience with their well performed piece in which they donned tinkling scarves.
The supportive attitude of the audience and fellow dancers made the event even more exciting to attend. When dancers performed their impressive solo moves, the audience cheered and fellow performers sat to the side, often singing along with songs and taking videos. At the end, when all performing dancers came out on stage for a final bow, the entire chapel stood up for a standing ovation, showing their admiration for the beautiful performances.
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