Levin Ballroom could barely contain the crowd of students, parents and Waltham community members that flocked there Saturday. Crowds lined up to see the sixth annual "Standing O" show hosted by B'yachad, Brandeis' Israeli folk dance troupe. The night included dance performances by B'yachad, Adagio, the ballroom dance team and Boston University's Kalanlot and the upbeat melodies of Manginah and Spur of the Moment. The whole evening was a wonderful mix of performing arts, influenced both by Israeli and American culture.This is the sixth year B'yachad has hosted "Standing O!" B'yachad travels to competitions in New York City, Washington, D.C., and all over the Northeast. Artistic director Abby Wolf '03 related that B'yachad really wanted to host a show at Brandeis to give their dance troupe and other campus groups more opportunities to perform for the students. Wolf also revealed that the name for the show "Standing O!" originated because B'yachad hoped the troupe would receive a standing ovation at the end of the night.

B'yachad certainly deserved a standing ovation. The extremely talented troupe of 13 women performed 10 highly original, creative Israeli dances. Each piece was choreographed by a member of the ensemble and boasted its own flavor, from the Latin-influenced piece "Malkat Hachatunot" to the upbeat movements of "Ata Totach" to the graceful, flowing dancing in "Darkeynu." Yet the repeated movements and style of each dance was also distinctly Israeli.

One of the crowd's favorite dances of the night was "Haroa Haktanah," in which each dancer leapt across the stage, beating a tambourine. The energy and smiles of the group were infectuous, and audience members continually cheered and clapped throughout many of the dances. Each piece was fun to watch, as numerous costume changes and brightly colored backgrounds complimented the liveliness and variety of the B'yachad dances. "Very nice," commented Ben Goldblatt. "I like their Israeli spirit."

Boston University's Israeli dance troupe, Kalanlot, which consisted of four women and two men, performed next. Watching this coed dance group gave the audience another view into the different styles and techniques of modern Israeli dancing. Wolf commented, "There are only a few Israeli dance competitions each year. This is Kalanlot's first year in existence, and we really wanted to give them the opportunity to perform as well."

The first-rate Israeli dancing of the night was accompanied by first-rate Israeli a cappella music from Brandeis Manginah. Their three-song set was highlighted by a very unique, innovative rendition of "Adon Olam," as Manginah sung the age-old prayer to the melodies of the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Aerosmith. Adam Shain '04 of Manginah remarked, "We are thrilled to be here and thrilled to be performing with some of Brandeis's other fine performing groups."

To provide variety to the Israeli dancing of B'yachad, the troupe also invited Brandeis Adagio Dance Ensemble and the ballroom dance team to perform. Adagio danced a provocative version of "I Love Rock and Roll" by Britney Spears and performed with spunky attitudes to "Le Jazz Hot" by Julie Andrews. The group's jazzy, sultry numbers and revealing costumes were a striking contrast to the more conservative, classy Israeli dance and flowing dresses of B'yachad dancers. The Brandeis ballroom dance team also got the crowd going with their sexy Latin rhythms and flashy dance movements.

Brandeis a cappella group Spur of the Moment performed at "Standing O!" as well. Though the group appeared short a few members, their performance was of the same high quality we have always come to expect from Spur. The talented voices of soloists Kira Baillargeon '06 and Aaron Fischlowitz-Roberts '03 highlighted the short set done by Spur for "Standing O!"

"Standing O!" was a fun time and a wonderful blend of Jewish-American culture. "It was an amazing mix of light and sound and color and motion," Judy Mark '06 said. Rachel Hoppenstein '06 raved, "I had never seen any (of the ensembles) perform, and I was pleasantly surprised. It really made me want to join one of the groups!