A Behind-the-Scenes Look into Danceworks Dreamscapes
Article By Milena Chiari, University Union Editorial Board
Social Media Liaison | Photos By Kelsey Quinn Leary
Danceworks is one of the most anticipated shows on Syracuse University’s campus, with students lining up in Schine Student Center hours early to watch their friends perform. Two nights of shows display roughly two hours of dance, but what the audience doesn’t see are the months of hard work, trial and error, and logistics that go into creating a piece.
Shaina Lieberman is the choreographer of “Decades of Drake,” which discovers the evolution of global rap sensation Drake. She watched hip-hop pieces from last year's show and felt compelled to do one herself, and she did not disappoint.
The inspiration came from Drake’s hit “Nice for What,” and the mashup began. This dance sent the audience on a ride through time, showcasing all of the rapper’s best work. The switches from upbeat Drake songs to slower ones showcased the dancer's expertise. Lieberman notes it was a challenging but fulfilling experience, especially as she has never done it before. She effortlessly exceeded this challenge, with the audience cheering the dancers on through each move.
“The Quiet” is a contemporary piece choreographed and created by Molly Lindstrom. The Troye Sivan song was one that Lindstrom had wanted to do since her junior year of high school. Now a senior in college, her wish came true. Speaking to her immediately, there were many dynamics in the song allowed her to create this powerful dance.
Lindstrom stated that the beginning of the piece was the easiest part in crafting this dance, as she knew exactly what she wanted to do. A passionate and motivational dance, audience members felt each emotion showcased in this piece. The technical choreography was the perfect demonstration of the musicality of Sivan’s hit.
Kaitlyn Sullivan and Michela Galego’s dance number “GIRLS” was a contrast to their piece last year. They wanted to do something different, an upbeat, girly hip-hop piece highlighting Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B, two artists who have not been used before in Danceworks pieces. They noted that although it was faster and more challenging than they are used to, they had much more fun bringing the piece to life this year.
“We really stepped it up this year,” Sullivan noted.
The mashup of songs is credited to Carter Moreland, a dancer in the piece, who mixed the songs himself. From the moment the music started, the audience was cheering on the amazing dancers. The upbeat and feminine dance created a wonderful atmosphere, hyping the audience with every song and move.
As the closing piece of the show, “Vroom Vroom” brought an excellent ending to an exciting show. Jovan Alacantra and Talia Panagiotopoulos were the brains behind this fierce and sexy piece.
“We wanted to be different than last year’s piece ‘Renaissance,’” Alacantra said.
They still wanted to build on the energy from last year. Each song in the mix had an underlying meaning and came from different artists, but they worked well with each other, creating a theme. With Panagiotopoulos abroad this spring semester, Alacantra had to take the reins for completing the dance.
“With last year’s dance being completed in November and this year’s in January, it was difficult having Talia abroad,” Alacantra noted.
After waiting a year to experience this incredible display of Syracuse’s dancers' expertise, I am so happy I got to experience it again this year. I loved seeing the different dance styles and especially enjoyed watching them knowing all the behind-the-scenes that went into crafting them. Each choreographer had poured their heart and soul into their pieces, which is evident in their dancers, and I cannot wait for next year’s show!
