From Traditional Ballet to Intriguing Modern

Florida State University School of Dance Presents a Successful Evening of Dance

Photo by Sarah Samaan / Maclay Andalusian

On Nov. 7-8, Florida State University School of Dance (FSU SOD) presented An Evening of Dance (EOD), an annual showcase performed by BFA students. EOD gives dance students the opportunity to learn from both faculty and outside choreographers and to perform the pieces they learn for the Tallahassee community. The show featured four different pieces: “Tempo di Valso (Waltz of the Flowers),” “The Customer,” “Relatum” and “In Contemplation of Wailing.” They were choreographed by George Balanchine, Baye and Asa, nia love and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, respectively. From choreography to lighting to costuming, EOD was very visually pleasing, yet lacked an overall diversity in choreography.

The choreography in each piece was intriguing and well-executed. The dancers in each piece were clearly in their element and dedicated to portraying the choreography well. The first piece, “Tempo di Valso (Waltz of the Flowers,” is very famous due to its background. Not only was it choreographed by Balanchine, but the staging was also set by Suzanne Farrell, another celebrity in the ballet world. The classic choreography was recognizable and well-known among dancers. 

This piece greatly contrasted with the remaining three, which were strictly modern. While they had different storylines and meanings, “The Customer,” “Relatum” and “In Contemplation of Wailing” had similar feels and would be nearly indistinguishable to a non-dancer. Regardless, the choreography and dancers’ performance quality made a visually entertaining performance.

In addition, the lighting in each piece added an extra level of intrigue. In “Tempo di Valso (Waltz of the Flowers),” the lighting consistently accentuated the dancers’ movement by eliminating shadows and highlighting facial features and costuming. This made the performance feel like a classic ballet, which contributed to the ethereal atmosphere. 

In “The Customer,” lights dimmed and brightened along with the music and movement. At one point, lights went totally black, making the dancers appear as silhouettes. “Relatum” and “In Contemplation of Wailing” utilized spotlights to bring attention to certain props or dancers. Specifically, the latter piece gave a spotlight to each of the six dancers, making it appear that each was in her own world and isolated from the others. While not always considered in dance, lighting was an integral part of EOD that greatly contributed to the atmosphere.

Furthermore, the costuming in each piece correlated well with the respective theme. In “Tempo di Valso (Waltz of the Flowers),” the costuming was very classic with soft pinks and flowy skirts. Dewdrop, the lead dancer, wore the lightest pink, the demi-soloists wore the darkest and the ensemble wore a medium tone. The costumes greatly resembled the flowers that the dancers were portraying. In “The Customer,” each dancer wore the same black costume with a removable hood covering their head, nose and mouth. The hoods played a major part in the choreography as the dancers removed and replaced their hoods throughout the piece. In this way, the costume doubled as a prop.

In “Relatum,” each dancer wore the same grey sweatpants with differing leotards or tops. This offered some consistency between dancers while allowing some freedom as well. Finally, “In Contemplation of Wailing” featured the same color palette across each costume, but each dancer wore a different style. This also allowed a mix of individuality and consistency, creating a similar yet fundamentally different atmosphere than “Relatum.” As a result, each piece was unique in its costuming, allowing a different theme to emerge in each. 

All three elements were professionally executed throughout all four pieces, creating an immersive atmosphere and visually stunning performance. Even though there was limited diversity and consistency between pieces, each dance in and of itself was impressive. 

<Star Ratings>

Choreography: ★★★★★

Lighting: ★★★★★

Costuming: ★★★★★