By Amelia Kibbe
Features Editor
The Bonaventure community took a Halloween-themed adventure courtesy of the hip-hop team Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.
Coached by senior history major Jacqueline Gertner, the team began preparing for its first show a few weeks into the school year and was ready for Tuesday’s opening night performance. The show, titled “The Haunted House of Hip Hop,” featured dances of many Halloween elements, such as zombies, ghosts, skeletons and graveyards.
In between group dances, emcees Zach Warren and Rose Brown provided commentary that described the proceeding dance. Much of the commentary was Bonaventure related and poked fun at the Hickey Dining Hall and the third floor of Devereux Hall.
Each dance was performed by a select group of dancers, while the opening and the grand finale featured larger ensembles.
Dancers twirled, swirled and floated across the stage in time with the often spooky music. Each piece required precise timing on the part of the performers as the choreography—often designed by team leaders—involved difficult lifts and twists.
Elizabeth Dickinson, three-year veteran to the team, said the hard work and talent the team possessed was evident in the performance.
“This was the shortest time we have had to put a show together,” Dickinson, a senior psychology major said. “It was definitely a crunch and considering how young our team is I am very impressed at the girl’s ability to pull this together. It took a lot of hard work and dedication from each and every member.”
Due to other commitments, Dickinson was unable to participate in all dances. She explained, however, this gave her the opportunity to mentor the younger dancers.
“Because of cross country season, I was only able to be in one number and therefore had the opportunity to observe a lot more than usual,” Dickinson said. “I give a lot of credit to what my teammates have done and the amount of time they put in to make this show come together.”
Alexa Zak, a first-year member to the team, said the show made her feel like part of a great team.
“I have been dancing since I was four,” Zak said. “So I have had the stage experience before, but I was still nervous for the first dance. After I got that out of the way, I began to enjoy it. I really felt like part of a team—a nice team. Everyone was friendly and they boosted our confidence backstage.”
At the end of the show, Zak presented Gertner with a bouquet of flowers after Gertner thanked audience members and team leaders for their hard work and support.
Dickinson added much of the success was due to the support of the SBU community.
“On the behalf of the SBU hip-hop team and Coach Jacqueline I would like to thank all those who have supported us, especially the student body,” Dickinson said. “Each year we keep working hard to meet the bar of what the previous year has set and we could not do it without the support of everyone who has attended our performances, or without the help and support of Jacqueline and Justine Haskell.”
Next, the hip-hop team will begin preparing for its popular spring show. Although Dickinson did not give away details, she promised top-notch acting and dancing from the dancers.
“You couldn’t ask for a better group of hard working dancers,” she said.
kibbeaa13@bonaventure.edu
