Adagio presented Dance Fest 2003 Wednesday night in conjunction with Student Event's Louis Louis Week. The 40 minute, free show featured performances from the Brandeis Ballroom Dance Team and the Suffolk University Dance Team in addition to Adagio. The performance featured an array of styles from a group ballet number to sizzling salsa duets and even a buoyantly "bootylicious" belly dancer. The exuberant energy of the dancers was topped only by that of the incredibly enthusiastic audience, who cheered non-stop for every performer that took the stage. Adagio's Dance Ensemble, the club's select performance group, opened the show with Bob Seger's classic hit, "Old Time Rock 'n Roll." The nine girls strutted confidently through the dance, wearing men's dress shirts and dangerously low-cut black shorts. Choreographed by Alyssa Krop '04, the number also made great use of the entire Levin Ballroom stage as dancers went from leaping through the air to stretching on the floor. The dance's flashy choreography along with the brightly colored disco lights helped to set the upbeat tone for the entire Adagio show.

Following the opening number, the five officers of the Brandeis Ballroom Dance Team took the stage to treat the audience to their spectacular, self-choreographed dance medley that amazed the audience. With his sharp yet sultry moves, Team President Dan Ludewig '06 was especially impressive as he danced the entire routine while rotating partners among his fellow female dancers. Ludevig and Olga Poltoratskaya '06 began the ballroom medley with a sizzling rendition of the cha-cha. Even more striking than Poltoratskaya's tight red dress was the quality of the couple's dancing as the pair wowed the crowd with their stunning spins and tight footwork. Dancing the cha-cha to a techno track, the duo's choreography put a sexy, modern twist on the traditional dance as Ludevig, for instance, stepped behind Poltoratskaya to swivel his hands on her body.

Switching to the samba, Anya Levin '06 took over as she and Ludevig flamboyantly flapped their arms while sassily circling the stage. Ludevig and his next partner, Veronica Peschansky '06, slowed things down with their sultry, dramatic rumba dance. While the dragging theme song from the movie "Great Expectations" did not fit well with the dance's more pulsating feel, Peschansky's undeniable stage presence and Luevig's entertaining expressions still made this portion of the routine enjoyable to watch. The medley closed with a comical and lively swing dance skit as Ludwig played an enamored boy desperately trying to impress his partner, the talented Shayna Skelley '06. This performance by the five leaders showcased the incredible skill and creativity of the Brandeis Ballroom Dance Team.

Next, the performance by one of Adagio's basketball dance groups provided a neat contrast to the more traditional styles of the Ballroom Team. Entitled "Unspeakable Joy," the routine choreographed by Julie Berg '07 helped keep the energy and excitement of Dance Fest 2003 going. The seven dancers moved in and out of a various formations and ended the number with some impressive foutte turns a la "Center Stage."

Afterwards, the 13 members of Suffolk University Dance Team performed their jazzy number, "About That Walk." The visiting team put on an incredibly professional performance. Even their stage entrances and exits were innovatively choreographed. While their dance was quite short, Suffolk's tight spins and sharp movements made their performance incredibly enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, "About That Walk" was the only number Suffolk performed. It would have nice to have seen more numbers from this talented group at Dance Fest 2003.
Martine Katz-Rajmil '07 proceeded to spice up the show and excite the crowd with her rousing belly dance performance. Her costume, complete with bells that jingled as she moved, was as fantastic as her belly dancing. Katz-Rajmil had the crowd cheering her name throughout her entire performance as she moved her arms in a snake-like manner and shook her hips with amazing speed.

Unfortunately, Adagio's contemporary ballet piece that followed, "The Gift," choreographed by Olinde Mandell '04, failed to captivate the audience. The number was quite sloppy as dancers consistently fell out of turns and were out of sync with each other. The dull choreography also had too many unnecessary solos that left dancers moving purposelessly at the back of the stage. Overall, the performance was as uninspiring as the music to which the song was choreographed.
Much to the audience's relief, the entire Ballroom Dance Team then took the stage for group performance. The 12 members first performed a sultry rumba then transitioned into a disco-like cha-cha. The group's performance at Dance Fest 2003 showed why the team placed in so many divisions at the Brown Intercollegiate Competition held earlier this month. The members also seem to love dance, as the team offered cha-cha lessons to the audience at the end of the show.

Dance Fest 2003 concluded with an encore performance by Adagio's Dance Ensemble to Beyonce's "Crazy in Love." The dance's spunky choreography, done by Alice Liu '04, really showed what the Adagio's select group was capable of. All the dancers appeared to be having fun on stage as they imitated the sexy diva's bouncy moves from the "Crazy in Love" music video. The number ended with one dancer doing a full split in the air, perfectly capping off a night of amazing performances full of exuberant energy and terrific talent. Students can only hope that Adagio's Dance Fest will become Brandeis's newest Louis Louis Week tradition.