On November 20th, 21st, and December 2nd Analy Danced presented A Moment In Time. This dance performance was held at El Molino. It featured 26 impressive dances inspired by art, photography, and time shared with others. One thing that made this performance so special was the combination of different dancers. The performers came from Dance 1, 2, 3 classes, auditions, Hillcrest, and the West County Dance Company. It was clear both the dancers and choreographers worked very hard to make this show magnificent. 

The audience had an excellent reaction to the performance. Although the crowd at the show I attended was not particularly large, they were loud and enthusiastic. Before each performance, you could hear excited friends and family cheering for the students on stage. The energy given by the crowd fed the dancers and added to the night’s atmosphere. When I asked other audience members how they felt about the show they described it as “ exciting and engaging” which I very much agree with. 

Every performance from this show was outstanding. I would love to talk about each one of them because it is clear so much hard work and effort was put into every aspect of this show. Unfortunately, there were too many performances to discuss them all individually. So instead, I would like to highlight the performances that stood out to me the most. 

I would first like to applaud the three solo performers in the Show. Mila Morr, Maddie Majias, and Keshi Mayer. It takes immense courage to perform completely alone, and these three did so beautifully. Their performances were confident and enthralling. Mila’s performance was the first big shift of the night. Not only was she the first solo performer, but her song had a milder tempo than in previous dances. The next two solos were equally spectacular, but what really impressed me was that Maddie and Keshi choreographed their own dances. 

Another performance I loved was titled On the Block. This dance was also choreographed by Maddie Mejias, along with Tyler Ono. What made this piece engaging for me was the use of props. They creatively included scooters, jump ropes, ribbons, and more to enhance the production  I believe the piece was intended to remind us of childhood. The schoolyard handshakes, games, and playfulness incorporated into this dance brought back memories from adolescence.

Childhood memories ended up being a recurring theme throughout the night. Jolene Johnson choreographed a dance titled Nostalgia. This performance was unique because it began with the performers sitting and looking through scrapbooks. While they looked pictures of them as kids were projected in the background. Throughout the performance, they left to dance and continued to revisit the books. I thought it was a very clever way to connect the act to the theme of a moment in time. 

Another performance that connected cleverly to the theme was called Swing. This performance brought the audience “back in time” to the sixties. They danced to “I Got Rhythm” by Bobby Darin, a song that was first recorded in 1962. They committed entirely to the theme with their costumes and dance moves. While they danced in a traditional 60’s style, featuring high kicks and quick steps, their delightful red and black polka dot dresses twirled around them. I appreciated this piece because it was upbeat, unique, and accomplished the sixties theme perfectly. 

Finally, I would like to discuss a powerful performance titled Representation Matters. In this act, while the dancers performed there were slides projected in the background once again. This time the slides showed various historical figures who advocated for women, people of color, and members of the lgbtq+ community. The slides also showed the female and p.o.c. pioneers in many different fields, including dance, who have become the representation for many people today. This was performed to Beyonce’s song Freedom; a protest anthem that tied in perfectly with the message of this dance. 

Overall, A Moment In Time was outstanding. The dancers and choreographers created a beautiful and entertaining show, which they should be extremely proud of. Each performance was detailed and distinctive, yet they tied together perfectly. Everyone who helped create the show deserves a big congratulations. I highly recommend attending any future Analy Dance events.