There was a buzz outside the Student Activities Building last Thursday night. Echoes of Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and Rihanna leaked through the door as Mahogany got ready to perform their opening. Anticipation intensified as everyone waited to see some of the hottest hip-hop dances on Grounds.
I would have enjoyed the show more if it had been purely dancing. Instead, Mahogany added a theatrical aspect to its performance by staging a faux reality TV show to accompany the actual dances. The show titled "Making the Troupe" included interviews with made-up characters that discussed their experiences auditioning for choreographer JJ's hip-hop troupe.
This portion of the show took away from the performance. I went to a dance show to see people dance, not to watch another reality TV show. While it was cute and occasionally funny, it became old very fast. A show that lasted an hour and 45 minutes could have easily been a great deal shorter. The "reality show" caused too many breaks that interrupted my enjoyment of the performance.
I felt that the actual dancing grew stronger as time went on -- which is typical of any opening night performance. It took some time for the dancers to act as a team and achieve a certain level of unity that would eventually accentuate the choreography. I find the best hip-hop dancers to be those who do not use sexual appeal as a crutch. This type of dance is hot and sexy, but there has to be something more. It needs to be sharp and precise so that power is just as present as the sex appeal. I found that the majority of the Mahogany dancers did have this balance. There were, however, the occasional few who should have been more focused on the strength of their movement.
I really enjoyed the choreography and the choice of music. The pieces later in the program used the floor more -- which for me is always the most exciting part of hip-hop. The use of soda cans as instruments, however, was somewhat sloppy and out of sync. But they were a stimulating prop and cool to watch.
One of the most thrilling parts of the evening was the guest appearance of Step It Up, a step troupe, at intermission. I could not take my eyes off them. There was a clear sense of teamwork, rhythm and pure enjoyment of the art of dance that came along with their performance. When their piece was finished, I could not help but think, "I wish I could do that!"
The final dance, called "The Board Dance," which consisted of the dancers who were chosen for the make-believe "Troupe," was definitely a highlight of my evening. Each of the dancers had a unique style that, when put together, created an astounding team of dancers that made me sit at the edge of my seat.
I had the pleasure of speaking to the two presidents of Mahogany following the show, both of whom happened to be two of my favorite performers that night. Following the show Candice Ng told me that her favorite part of Mahogany was the people involved.
"There are just so many different kinds, minorities, mainstream, sororities, everything and you get the opportunity to know all of them," Ng said.
When I asked Mahogany Co-President Solome Paulos what she wanted the audience to take away from the show, she said, "Being the oldest dance troupe on Grounds, I would love to see them with an appreciation for the art of dance -- it is fun and hot!"
I would have to agree with Solome. Mahogany is definitely hot, and I hope students will take advantage of the opportunity to see them perform in the future.
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