From Tip Toes to Pink Floyd

TAMIU students and a collection of proud family members were treated to a display of dance performances meant to wrap up the Fall 2013 season on Friday, November 15th at the Center of Fine and Performing Arts. The 2013 Fall Dance Concert was a collection of around 130 students either majoring or minoring in dance. "For many it was their first semester in a dance class. The semester concerts are a reflection of everything we're doing in the dance classes," said Department Chair and choreographer Bede Leyendecker.

At first glance, the concert had all the given features of a dance recital. You had the closed curtain that managed to give you a glimpse of the foot movement going on in the other side through the inch-gap opening at the bottom. The mothers who had "Sony" imprinted on the palm of their hands due to years of using camcorders were also there. And of course, what would a concert be without the crying baby? Overall, the setting was very casual.

The show premiered with a Flamenco piece choreographed by Altagracia Azios-Garcia that was successful in giving the largely Hispanic audience a comfortable introduction through familiarity. Of course, the best foot forward has to be followed by something. That follow-up came in the form of a dance performance choreographed by dance professor Sandra E. Leal done to "Great Gig in the Sky", a trancy instrumental song by legendary rock band Pink Floyd. The abstraction introduced by the song itself was amplified by the movements coming from the dancers, so a non-music student would have had trouble grasping the concept presented. Nonetheless, the inclusion of this music material built a foundation of variety and versatility reflected in the dancers, and the addition of a Marilyn Manson piece played as a reaffirmation to this statement. As a result of the variety in the track list and styles of dance the generous effort to fight-off the feeling of exclusion from reaching an audience member was seen.

Needless to say, mistakes and slip ups were seen in the performances. There were the usual missteps and general stage confusion that can plaque any performance and/or concert; and the mistakes were successful to point out a dancer's skill of an amateur. However, the mistakes also pointed out a dancer's status as a student. These were clearly artists that have not reached a level of perfection, but in the same light a claim of perfection was never set in stone by boastfulness or ego. If that had been the case, then devoting one's time to learning the art would be pointless. It was a night of and for amateurs, and that is what transformed the "dancer" to that girl you see around in English 1302. It is what converted the conservative applause into chants and whistles from friend and family members.

When The Bridge asked the Chair for the Arts and Preformace Bede Leyendecker about the dance preformance what she had wished to accomplish with the concert, an overall reflection of a teacher came to be: "That our students feel a sense of success whether they're beginners or they're advanced. That's the most important thing. It's all about them."

Mark your calendar the next event for The Center for Fine and Performing Arts will be hosting the TAMIU Mariachi Internacional Concert Monday, November 25 at 7:30pm For more information about the 2013 Fall Dance concert contact the Center for for Fine and Performing Arts call

(956) 326-2654 or visit Office: CFPA 217B

(Dago Carmona may be reached at dagoalbertocarmona@dusty.tamiu.edu)