Melee Dance Troupe puts on “Tenacious” final show

Very few things have the ability to brighten one’s day like dancing. And if you can’t dance, the next best thing is watching people that can, which is exactly what I did last Sunday afternoon at Mˆlée Dance Troupe’s spring show, “Tenacious D(ance).”
Mˆlée Dance Troupe is a student organization that puts on a show every spring. Rehearsals begin during winter term and anyone is welcome to participate.
This year’s show included a wide variety of genres and talents. Although the show got off to a rough start with “Oh So Quiet” – the choreography was creative but the dancers weren’t quite together – it quickly picked up with the matrix-imitating moves in “Time is Running Out.”
After learning that the organization is open to anyone from any dance background, I was shocked at the impressive choreography and the precision with which it was performed.
The most enjoyable performances were “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” and “St. Mary’s Home for the Weary.” Both incorporated humor and won much praise and laughter from the audience.
In “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” the dancers donned all-black outfits with white gloves and entered the stage as a group while moving their hands like a train. The choreography continued to clash but somehow perfectly align with Mozart’s classical piece, including moves such as spastic jumping and cowboy imitations. But the most amazing feat in this performance was the serious face each dancer maintained.
“St. Mary’s Home for the Weary” began with two dancers, Kyle Brauer and Clare Bohrer, dressed as old folks walking down the audience isles and complaining about something-or-other. When they reached the stage, three other dancers joined them: two were also dressed as old people and one as a nurse. The performance was hilarious and ended in sore joints for the old folks and a shrug from the nurse.
While the dancing was impressive, the show wouldn’t have been half as good without the lighting effects. During “You’ll Find a Way,” the break-dancing moves were enhanced by a strobe light.
Another effect used in several performances was the silhouetting of the dancers. This effect took Emily Galvin’s belly dancing routine to a whole new level of intrigue.
However, some of the performances, like Galvin’s “Tribal Fusion” and the rhythmic “Stomp” drill, were crowd-pleasing at first but went on too long to maintain interest.
Other than these minor setbacks, “Tenacious D(ance)” was a success. The show was just the right amount of time and ended with the perfect finale that brought closure to the event and let me out into the world with a smile.
After all, who wouldn’t be uplifted by Lawrence’s most enthusiastic dance crew performing Leslie Hall’s “Tight Pants/Body Rolls”?