Melody Soto/ Roundup
Students line the walls of the North Gym, South Gym and Dance Studio each Sunday in preparation for the Pierce College Spring Dance Concert.
The rehearsals, which began March 20, will continue until the weekend of the spring dance concert, scheduled for three presentations May 13 – 15 in the Performing Arts Main Stage.
Various dance styles including modern dance, ballet, jazz, musical theater, tap dance, dance drama, dance improvisation, hip-hop and social dance will be showcased during the presentations.
Open auditions on March 19, welcomed Pierce College students as well as community members, all hoping for a spot in the production.
Marian S. Weiser, director of the dance theater department and Jacqueline Eusanio, who teaches Middle Eastern and social dance were on the committee that supervised the auditions.
“We had 128 people who auditioned. It’s the most we’ve ever had,” said Eusanio.
Although, dancers are only allowed to participate in three performances, Weiser encouraged everyone to audition for all dance numbers.
To Weiser, dance is a life learning process.
“I know some 80-year-olds out there taking dance classes. Dance requires dedication and commitment, but it’s also exiting and fun,” said Weiser.
The concert will feature a total of 18 dances. Students are in charge of choreographing 15 numbers. Guest companies will put on two dances.
During the fall semester the dance department organizes an annual folk dance concert, but because the Performing Arts Mainstage is scheduled to be demolished and reconstructed during that time period, one folk dance from Soviet Georgia will be included in the program and supervised by Professor Eusanio.
In addition, Weiser, will create a nine minute dance to the music of Samuel Barber, composed for the opera “A Hand of Bridge,” by the Italian- American, Gian Carlo Menotti.
Weiser puts the musical piece into a modern era. She plans on having soprano and alto vocalists accompany dancers on stage.
One of Weiser’s big concerns was making the concert as diverse as possible.
“I balanced the concert for sight and sound,” said Weiser.
Practices began at 8:30 a.m and ended at 6 p.m. They went on simultaneously and lasted for an hour and 30 minutes.
Monica Garcia, 28, is participating in two numbers, a hip-hop and a jazz lyrical piece. She will be spending four hours every Sunday at Pierce College. She arrived early in the morning and left after attending the one hour mandatory meeting every dancer is required to attend.
Garcia, who has been dancing on and off since she was 13-years-old, took part in the folk dance concert produced in Fall 2010.
“I had a really good time. I wanted to come back before I transfer out of here,” said Garcia.
Like Garcia, several dancers have participated in more than one large- scale Pierce College dance production.
Zennetta Taylor, 22, is one of those people.
Since she started attending Pierce College in 2006, Taylor has been in seven shows.
This semester she is part of a jazz, hip hop and ballet number.
“I look forward to performing each piece on stage,” said Taylor.
Loui Sagastump, 28, is also participating in three dances.
Although, he transferred out of Pierce College, he came back for another Spring concert and is now learning the steps to a contemporary, jazz and hip-hop choreography.
“It feels like home because you get to see those familiar faces,” said Sagastump.
Erik Teno, 31, is enjoying the bond he has made with fellow dancers and is awaiting the end results.
“It’s fun to see an array of dances compacted in one show,” said Teno.