Reflective Essay: The Art Of Dance

The Art of Dance
In the heart of Miami, Miami Dade College’s (MDC) dance majors put on a performance called The Art of Dance. Under the direction of Michelle Grant- Murray, guest choreographers challenged the students of MDC. The students were also able to exhibit their own work, as this was also their student choreography showcase. The evening consisted of diverse styles such as – African, contemporary, and world dance; unfortunately, I cannot say the all of the pieces impressed me.
The Art of Dance was staged in MDC’s own Kendall campus auditorium. There was respectable use of the stage and lighting, however the dancers themselves did just not do it for me. The majority of the pieces appeared thrown together at the last minute and as if

there was not enough rehearsal time. Coming to a concert performed by college students, I expected to see dancers trained at a much higher level. Granted, dance isn’t always about who can lift their leg the highest or do the most pirouettes. However, dancers at a college level should know not to fix their costume malfunctions on stage.
In addition to one of The Art of Dance’s nadirs was also a disco-inspired piece called “You Can Do It…” choreographed by Michelle Grant-Murray and performed by the dancers of MDC’s Jubilation Dance Ensemble. This piece was set to close out the performance. As a dancer and choreographer, I have worked with the best of the best and the worst of the worst. This finale number felt more like an across-the-floor combination instead of actual choreography given to the dancers to inspire their audience. Was the choreography, lighting, and costuming appropriate for the music chosen by Grant-Murray? Absolutely. The dancers wore jeans and brightly colored, sequins vests. Also, the lights were flashing in all sorts of purples, blues, reds, and oranges to match the disco theme. I have seen and done similar choreography in jazz classes for years; therefore, this piece wasn’t anything that grabbed by attention. The piece was lengthier than I would have liked it to be. The dancers did their choreography and concluded with a couples’ bows. Regardless of having already done the bows, the dancers took the stage yet again and most were recognized individually. I didn’t feel a need for so many curtain calls.
Besides the unprofessionalism and lack of rehearsal for some pieces, one of the performance’s highlights for me was this gorgeous piece that very much moved me.

The piece was performed in very minimalist staging. There was the use of flashlights and the backdrop was unlit during this specific choreography. Maria I. Garcia did a brilliant job in informing the audience and, in my opinion, challenging the audience to be moved artistically. Garcia had a male dancer, Joshua Archibald, speak to the audience about how the purpose of art was to not only inspire its audience, but to also involve its audience as the choreography was in progress. Along with the staging and lighting for this choreography, the costuming was simplistic. The dancers wore plain white t-shirts and black briefs. Garcia’s choreography did not only stand out to me because she had one of her dancers reach out to the audience and pose a question, but because she used the unique medium of paint in her choreography. As the dancers got through the choreography, which was already ingenious, they proceeded to paint on the white t-shirts worn. Garcia truly did a commendable job in reaching out to her audience and posing a question.
Miami Dade College’s very own dance majors, who were challenged by the artistry of guest choreographers as well as themselves, performed The Art of Dance. Watching this performance truthfully made me question if the dancers in this program were being trained properly to be professional dancers

and if they were being challenged enough as artists. I hope to see growth in the dance program at Miami Dade.