Photo of Dance Team during rehearsal
Photo: @sbu_danceteam on Instagram
BY: JESSICA WIKANDER, STAFF WRITER
Since last May, the St. Bonaventure University Dance team has been working to put together their fall semester dance production, “Murder on the Dancefloor.” This Tuesday, their hard work paid off as they performed to a full house on opening night in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Their final performance on Wednesday was also lined up to sell-out with only five tickets left.
The performance is the team’s own twist on the popular board game and movie “Clue,” with the show alternating between acting performances and a variety of dance segments.
“‘Clue’ has been something that we have discussed doing for some time,” said Riley Connors, senior adolescent education and English major and Dance Team co-captain. “We have been drawn to the different ways we could portray the plot and characters through our dances. The more personality we have in our show, the better we can create dances that reflect the themes, motifs and plot.”
The nine key characters are played by a troupe of returning members, some even doubling as team leaders as well. Seniors Domini Dalfonso, Keyara Wingate, Quinn Rotella and Samay Saxena take up the roles of Ms. Scarlett, Wadsworth, Colonel Mustard and Mr. Body, respectively. Juniors Cal Reddington, Hayden Watt and Alayna Bruno play Professor Plum, Mr. Green and Mrs. Peacock. Sophomores Ana Beyth and Celeste Robbins will perform as Yvette and Mrs. White.
As a dance team, the show is more focused on portraying the story of “Clue” through their dance routines, using the acting parts as segways between performances.
“Our show includes a variety of dance styles, such as jazz, jazz funk, contemporary, hip-hop and couple’s routines,” said Keyara Wingate, senior psychology major and Dance Team co-captain. “Every style, regardless of class size, highlights the team’s unique strengths. Each dance brings its own dynamic through distinct choreography, music and costumes, making every performance special in its own way.”
The team experienced a gradual increase in membership over the past four years. This year, they boast an all-time high of 58 active members, making this team the biggest team since the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the excitement of having such a large group of dancers come a few challenges.
“This year, we tackled the unique challenge of organizing dances and schedules for a team of around 60 dancers,” said Wingate. “This required finding creative ways to feature everyone not only in our full-team productions but also in smaller group dances. These smaller pieces still involved larger groups than either Riley or I had worked with during our time on the Dance Team, pushing us and our choreographers to think outside the box.”
Wingate also said that the dances in the Jazz and Hip-Hop categories were the most popular among the team, with these segments featuring the most performers.
Sophomores Alayna Bruno and Cailee Pollard, juniors Amanda Ippolito and Jamie Kaempf and seniors Domini Dalfonso, Ellie Foley, Riley Connors and Keyara Wingate make up the group of student choreographers. Each one is tasked with creating and teaching the dances performed in the show.
“Each dance has two choreographers who meet outside of their scheduled class time to come up with choreography, formations and transitions to then teach to their class for that week,” said Connors. “They’ve all done an amazing job with creating dances that fit our theme, while also tackling the challenge of choreographing some of the largest numbers this team has seen in years.”
Getting the show on the stage has truly been a full team effort, according to its captains. From writing the script in the summer, to prepping and choreographing the dance classes throughout the semester, each member has had a hand in bringing the production to fruition.
“Without the effort and work from each dancer, we would not be able to have the dances, acting, script or prop assistance that we need to piece a show of this size together,” said Connors. “It seriously takes a village, and Dance Team has consistently created an environment where people want to help out and do their best for themselves and the team, which shows through our performances and overall camaraderie.”
wikandjm23@bonaventure.edu
