It's not often at Brandeis that 40 half-naked models dance around the stage in Levin Ballroom. This occurs once a year, to be exact. Last night, the third annual Liquid Latex Body Art Show took place in front of an eager, standing room-only crowd, most of whom had surely been anticipating the event since the day after last year's show.Somehow, in under one month, the sponsoring New Fashions Club managed to put together a complex show involving four producers, over 20 artists, 40 models and numerous stage-hands. The show went smoothly from start to finish -- a testament to the hard work of all involved.

All of the acts were intriguing for different reasons; some were more artistic, interpretive dances, while others were set to pop music. One particularly striking dance was entitled "Seasons" and set to the song "Angel" by Gavin Friday. In this act, each of the four models was painted to represent one of the four seasons. Spring, represented by Tobey Ward '04, wore a hula skirt and had flowers in her hair, along with her latex top. The non-latex parts of her costume made the effect more three-dimensional and life-like. Samantha Miller '04 was painted in metallic colors representing leaves. The intricate details on her latex "costume" made her portrayal of the season come alive. "In the Beginning" showcased a very beautful and symbolic dance of the Adam and Eve story.

In terms of coreography, "Sand Dance," an Egyptian themed act to the song "Walk Like An Egyptian," featured very complicated and entertaining dance moves. Choreographers Rachel Hartstein '04 and Anna Natsume '04 even worked in a split by Rachel Freidus '02. The most beautiful choreography of the night was by Amanda Atkinson '02 in her number "Roxanne." The moves were rhythmic and symbolic, and the tango between Aliyah Caler '02 and Jonas Klabin '02 was breathtaking.

"Addicted to Love," an act set to the Robert Palmer song, was a crowd favorite. The two male dancers (Gene Leshinsky '02 and Axel Osio '03) came out in wolf outfits, complete with ears and tails, and danced with two latex-painted Little Red Riding Hood girls (played by Meredith Bodgas '04 and Hannah Heilman '04) and the audience went wild. Another '80s song, "She Blinded Me With Science," was also very popular with the enthusiastic audience. This dance told a narrative of a male scientist who made his two female assistants sniff a potion, which made them wildly attracted to him. Aron Estaver '02 was great as this crazy scientist, milking the audience for laughs and proving an equal match to the two latex-covered women (played by Patricia Pierkarski '02 and Jessica Tobacman '02) dancing with him.

Other crowd favorites were medleys of popular music. There was a Britney Spears medley, which had some of the most accurately painted costumes, as Spears often wears little more than latex-tight clothing in her music videos. KISS was represented by four women covered in appropriate black and white latex. Finally, a "Jock Jams" medley had a basketball referee and four players wearing painted uniforms in Celtics and Lakers colors. The acts with pop music tended to draw more enthusiasm from the audience, although the interpretive acts were also enjoyed, if in a slightly quieter manner. One featured glow in the dark paint, and another added fire to the mix, demonstrating just how creative latex acts can be.

Liquid Latex 2002 was definitely a success. Co-producer Maryanne Cullinan '02 said that while Liquid Latex originated in 2000 as a fashion show, it now encompasses both dance and fashion, making it more entertaining. Everyone who wished to be a model was able to participate in the show, and it took about two hours to paint each individual the day of the show. While the $10 ticket cost seemed steep to some, it went to pay the $1,200 cost of the latex, for the rental of Levin Ballroom, and for lights and sound. In addition, 20 percent of the proceeds will be donated to a Pediatric AIDS Charity, because, "while the show is about having fun, some of the money should be put toward a good cause," Cullinan added.

The event's founder, Brandeis alumnus Alaric Toy '00 said the Liquid Latex show "is the only one I've heard of that takes place on a college campus," although professional latex shows do exist. The uniqueness of the event adds to its popularity among the curious Brandeis community that is already eagerly anticipating next year's entertaining show.