Imagine, Inspire, Illuminate

        The first entry is actually going to be a different from what many would expect.  I attend Carthage College in Wisconsin in the city of Kenosha and, well, Kenosha does not have a lot to do.  This makes the entertainment offered on campus much more needed.  The Theatre Department’s dance show titled Imagine, Inspire, Illuminate provided such entertainment worthy of remembrance.

Now I’m sure once crucial point may be going through your head right now: this is a college dance production.  Although it was just a one weekend showcase of eleven, and if you were outside the Carthage College community you probably missed it.  Fair enough, I’ll give you the advantage, but despite this being a college production it speaks louder than that.  Imagine, Inspire, Illuminate included dances not just for the sake of dancing, yes some were the more modern/interpretive style I presume, but they all told some sort of story.  Think of a dance concert as being a nod back to the silent film days of yore, such was the atmosphere the dancers were able to create.  Given the chance I would strongly recommend to see a dance concert on your own time, and while it may not seem like your cup of tea in the beginning I presume you’ll be amazed at least by the music.  They have the silent film feel to them, relying not on words (obviously) to tell the story but emotion and passion.  Advantage back to me.

I had several friends taking part in this production, either on or backstage, I will not identify them by name but the initials S.F., J.B., K.L., S.K., M.S. and frankly I did not know the last three were involved.  The ability they have in dancing, or make-up/costuming, is phenomenal, and the dances which they were involved in thoroughly entertained and stole the night.  Perhaps this is just me being biased towards my friends, they were also in the dances I understood the “story” for the most part, but they seemed to becoming something different while dancing (exception J.B. who did fantastic make-up).  Although I originally went to support two of them, the entire cast should know the audience supported and appreciated their hard work.  

  The dances were for the most part very entertaining but a few deserve considerable recommendation.  My personal favorites included “The Bollywood Swing” and “All Strung Out” with three other dances very close behind “Fourteen”, “The Ballad of Stone Hearts”, “You Are Here”.  All five dances were beyond amazing and beautifully choreographed, and at times it seemed difficult to remember this was a college level production.  The skill and talent of those performing was remarkable for artists in their early twenties.  These five dances also seemed to hold the most resemblance to the silent film era and relying on emotion to tell the story or captivate the audience.  It takes tremendous dedication to perform even at the level which these dancers did, and personally such dedication deserves serious merit for all the hard-work and patience required.  
    While dancing may not be “your thing,” dance shows seem to hold something a bit different.  They are a nod back to simpler forms of entertainment almost.  They do not require vast riches to make them possible, instead only a group of people believing “hey let’s have a little fun with this.”  Such a mindset can never disappoint and you walk away with a higher appreciation for dancing.  Give a dance concert a chance if you have the opportunity, and I believe you’ll see it the way I saw it.  Once more congratulations and highest regards to all those involved with Imagine, Inspire, Illuminate, you all did a fantastic job.