Evening of Dance 2018

When certain events happen at Brentwood, you know it is May: Rugby Playoffs, a Red Saturday or two, and everyone’s favourite, AP Exams. In addition, Evening of Dance has become a staple at Brentwood, where the school’s finest dancers display their talent and hard work on stage for the community to see. The show is one of the most highly anticipated events at the school, but few people know what goes into such a performance.  Obviously, preparations start long before May; mid-way through Term 1, the classes begin to learn choreography for their dance(s), aiming to get it down before the term is up. Term 2 is typically used for individual and small group work; this is when solos are choreographed and group routines are rehearsed. There is little over a month from the start of Term 3 to the show, and with festivals and Evening of Dance rehearsals taking up a large chunk of that time, it is hoped that all dances are completed and the limited time after March Break is just used for fine tuning. Of course, not everyone follows this rule, me included, as I began a duet with Fabiana G, Mack ‘19, three weeks before the show. Fortunately, she and I have excellent chemistry and it only took three hours total to complete our dance.  So, after months of hard work, we arrive at show week. No matter how many Evenings of Dance you have performed in, every dancer is nervous; during the group warm-up, everyone is jumping up and down, attempting to get rid of their jitters. However, when the curtain opens and the show begins, it is business as usual.  Once the music begins, you let autopilot take over your body and do what you have done for the past year; you elevate on every jump, tuck on every turn, accentuate every pop. You do all that you can to be in time with the music and your fellow dancers, to perform every move at the right instant all the while expressing the correct facial emotions. It’s an arduous task, brain operating at a million miles an hour, but it is all worth it when you strike your final pose, the music stops, and there’s a brief silence before the audience applauds your performance. In fact, the audience’s applause and reaction is an underrated factor in a dancer’s performance; whenever an individual’s house comes to watch them, he/she has a tendency to dance harder and better – at least I do when Privett shows up. Nothing is more rewarding than putting on your best show for your housemates and they respond with thunderous applause and cheering.  When one is not on stage performing, there are a plethora of things that can be done. Most dancers are in multiple dances, so time is spent changing outfits. After swapping clothes, dancers typically chill in their respective change rooms – or in the case of the Intermediate girls, hang out in the Green Room with the boys. Teachers beware: no prep will be done by dancers during the three nights of the show. In the Green Room, there is a monitor and a speaker, allowing dancers to see what is on stage, to both enjoy and keep track of when to be on stage. Usually, a dancer should be backstage one or two dances before their performance. Backstage, they can admire their preceding dance while shaking out the final nerves before heading on stage.  After four years of being in the show, I have noticed an increase in the amount of diversity it has to offer. In Grade 9, the dances were almost exclusively contemporary. As the years passed, different genres have become much more popular. Hip-hop dances have become more common in the show’s repertoire, with a handful of the performances being of that genre. In addition, this year we had two dances we’d truly never seen on a Brentwood stage, presented by individuals who are not a part of the Brentwood Dance Program. Sierra T, Allard ‘18, brought Cirque du Soleil to Brentwood, with an aerial silk dance that wowed the crowd. From her impressive kicks to death-defying drops, she completely captivated the audience with her acrobatic feats of strength, garnering her a standing ovation; PSA, Sierra would like to inform everyone that she has stronger forearms than me. The second dance was an animation dance by Connor LL, Ellis’ 20. The contrasting styles of his jerky popping and smooth gliding was spectacular; when paired with his music, it was truly a show of his own. Connor was so impressive, students came back on Friday to witness his skills.  It is amazing every year following the last show; there’s a brief period Ms Blake and the Dance Captain – this year’s was Hannah S, Alex ‘18 – have speeches, thanking everyone for all their hard work in making the show possible. I’ve witnessed four of these speeches, but this year was much more significant. All the 12th graders were acknowledged with personalized dance mugs – yours truly included – but that was not even the highlight of the night. Following Ms Blake’s spiel, Hannah took the mic and along with seven other senior students, spoke of the impact Ms Blake has had in their lives. Most of the dancers could barely make it through their speeches, fighting back tears as they explained how pivotal Ms Blake has been to them as dancers and as human beings. It was a truly touching moment to end a spectacular evening.  It feels like it’s the end of an era; I’ve been dancing at Brentwood for four years, and stepping off that stage for the last time was a bittersweet moment. I remember walking into a Junior class in Grade 9, surrounded by girls, and I thought to myself “I definitely do not belong here.” Fortunately Ms. Blake put me into the Intermediate Class and I thrived ever since. I’ve had some special moments on that stage, but my performances this year were much more significant. From “Will Smith” to my duet with Fabiana G, Mack ‘19, to “You’re The One That I Want” I did my best to make each dance count, as did the other seniors with their respective dances. While we may never dance at Brentwood again, we will forever hold onto the memories made whilst here, and maybe we’ll keep dancing wherever we go – I know I will.  Olamide O, Privett ‘18