Ok Go be promiscuous at Middance

Author: Polly Johnson

McCullough Social Space was rocked last Saturday night as the members of Middance took to the stage, delivering one of the most energetic and exciting shows to date. Middance Co-Presidents Haley Gilbert '07.5 and Kerren McKeeman '07.5 ensured that the show, "So You Think Midd Can Dance?" included all genres of dance and all kinds of different dancers, and the result was a fast-paced performance that definitely evoked the talents showcased on ABC's "So You Think You Can Dance?"

The show came together under the hard work of Gilbert and McKeeman. Gilbert said of the show's organization, "Kerren and I have been organizing this show since before the semester started. We met the week before school started and planned our theme, figured out our show dates and the timing of dress rehearsals and rehearsal practices. We then had our first board meeting during the first week of school."

The show featured four judges, including Associate Dean of the College Marichal Gentry, Dean of Library and Information Services Barbara Doyle-Wilch, Will Hunt '07.5 and Dean Atyia '08.5, each of who provided unique and humorous insight into and judgment of the dances, which were graded on a one-to ten-point scale. The variety of dances was noteworthy - a co-ed group grooved to house beats, a group of girls danced in tutus to Madonna's "Like a Prayer," one member belly danced and the show concluded with a final climactic ensemble performance to the guilty pleasure pop song of the summer, "Promiscuous Girl." Of the final performance, Middance member Eric Hoest '07.5 commented, "Promiscuous Girl was definitely the best dance of the night, since it is the best song written in this century and musicians and choreographers are going to be hard-pressed to come up with something better within the next 94 years."

Hoest may have praised the final dance as the best of the night, but the dance he participated in, set to the beat of an OK Go song, along with Will Martin '07.5, Josh Hendrickson '07.5 and Max Hames '07.5, received such acclaim from the judges and excitement from the audience that it might have run a close second as the audience favorite. Martin said that "seeing four lanky, awkward guys in front of a ballet mirror just trying to perfect the moves" was probably the highlight of the dance's preparation.

Preparation for the big night was no small task or simple feat. According to Gilbert, "this year there were fewer dancers than in the past," even though, as she stressed, "there are no tryouts and everyone can participate!" She attributed the lack of dancers this year to a crowded activities fair and lack of response from the original Middance e-mail list. But it worked out, since, as Gilbert noted, "in the end, a smaller show, with fewer people, was easier to manage and easier for the audience to enjoy."

McKeeman echoed that sentiment: "Middance is so great - the dancers just have to get up onstage and have a blast and suddenly it's contagious and the 300 people in the audience can't help but feel it too."

While the show may have been smaller, the audience lapped up every minute of it. The judges added a fun touch. Doyle-Wilch took on the role of Madame d'Witch, played off of her name and how people seem to confuse it with Doyle-Witch, while Hunt was dressed in Gentry's purple African flowing outfit. McKeeman, who was happy with the judges and host, said"I'm really happy with the spunk and humor the judges brought to the show, and our host Christine [Chung '10] just lit up the stage and was the thread that tied it all together."

Overall, the show was a great success.

Obviously still basking in the glory of the show, Hoest said, "this Middance show was the best one since I've been here. It left the audience wanting more, unlike many shows at McCullough that tend to go on for the whole night. The transitions were fun and the dances were catchy."