From Nov. 16 to 18, Meredith Dance Theatre (MDT) and the Meredith Jazz and Tap Company (MJTCo) held their fall shows. These four performances culminated in the Sunday night gala, which featured select pieces from each company that were chosen throughout the weekend.
I attended the Sunday night gala show on Nov. 18 and thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the choreography to be innovative and often emotional. From all of the choreographers and dancers, there was nuance in both the structure and individual movement of the dances. In most if not all the dances, there were complex and clearly thought-out intricacies in terms of shape and pattern. Rarely were there matching lines of dancers with completely synced movements; choreographers instead opted to add interest through the use of facing and direction changes. Solos and differentiation between dancers were also frequently used, and made for choreography that was visually complex and interesting.
Although there was no overarching story consistent with all the pieces, I found each individual dance to have enough emotional material that I felt impacted as a viewer. Many of the dances I interpreted to have themes of strength, sisterhood and friendship, which is fitting for students at Meredith. The finale pieces especially, for both MDT and MJTCo, were focused strongly on our strength as women and on drawing on each other’s strength to find our own. Additionally, while emotional, the dances left some room for interpretation for the audience members, allowing us to mirror our own experiences and emotions onto the performances and find our own personal deeper meaning.
Overall, the fall performances for MDT and MJTCo were filled with impressive choreography and loads of dance talent, and I left feeling thoroughly impressed with Overall, the fall performances for MDT and MJTCo were filled with impressive choreography and loads of dance talent, and I left feeling thoroughly impressed with the talent at Meredith.
By Olivia Slack, Staff Writer