Reflective Essay: The Art Of Dance

The Art of Dance In the heart of Miami, Miami Dade College’s (MDC) dance majors put on a performance called The Art of Dance. Under the direction of Michelle Grant- Murray, guest choreographers challenged the students of MDC. The students were also able to exhibit their own work, as this was also their student choreography showcase. The evening consisted of diverse styles such as – African, contemporary, and world dance; unfortunately, I cannot say the all of the pieces impressed me. The Art of Dance was staged in MDC’s own Kendall campus auditorium. There was respectable use of the stage and lighting, however the dancers themselves did just not do it for me. The majority of the pieces appeared thrown together at the last minute and as if

The piece was performed in very minimalist staging. There was the use of flashlights and the backdrop was unlit during this specific choreography. Maria I. Garcia did a brilliant job in informing the audience and, in my opinion, challenging the audience to be moved artistically. Garcia had a male dancer, Joshua Archibald, speak to the audience about how the purpose of art was to not only inspire its audience, but to also involve its audience as the choreography was in progress. Along with the staging and lighting for this choreography, the costuming was simplistic. The dancers wore plain white t-shirts and black briefs. Garcia’s choreography did not only stand out to me because she had one of her dancers reach out to the audience and pose a question, but because she used the unique medium of paint in her choreography. As the dancers got through the choreography, which was already ingenious, they proceeded to paint on the white t-shirts worn. Garcia truly did a commendable job in reaching out to her audience and posing a question. Miami Dade College’s very own dance majors, who were challenged by the artistry of guest choreographers as well as themselves, performed The Art of Dance. Watching this performance truthfully made me question if the dancers in this program were being trained properly to be professional dancers