As the curtains opened at the Johns Hopkins Orientation Dance Show, a group of ballerinas pranced and pirouetted across the stage. After five minutes and a round of applause, their performance came to an end. The Indian classical dance group, Shakti, took center stage for a brief period before another group shimmied around Shriver Hall in front of an audience of 800-plus people.
The annual show, designed to introduce first-year students to the dance groups and celebrate the beginning of another academic year, featured all 18 Johns Hopkins dance clubs, with performances clocking in at five minutes each. Many of the groups host workshops and tryouts in the weeks that follow.
The event featured a range of styles, from tap dancing to Bollywood Fusion.
"The concert was an excellent showcase for the amazing talent and diversity in our student dance groups," said Eric Beatty, director of Homewood Arts Programs.
The Johns Hopkins dance groups are:
Shakti: Hopkin's competitive Indian classical dance team
Temps d'Afrique: An African dance troupe that employs traditional and modern African movements and samples a variety of African music genres
VIVAZ Performing Arts Company: A group Influenced by the Caribbean with styles ranging from reggae to soca chutney
Slam: Hopkins' only hip-hop dance group
JHU Josh: Women's competitive Bollywood Fusion team
The Ladybirds Dance Team: The official dance team of JHU, performing during halftime sporting events
¡Baila!: A traditional and modern Latin group
Blue Jay Bhangra: Indian and Pakistani folk dance club that features heavy drumbeats, colorful costumes, and complex formations
JHU Ballroom Dance: A group that offers International Latin and standard lessons for all performance levels
The Eclectics: A co-ed dance group that performs hip hop, whacking, locking, house, modern, ballet, jazz, and lyrical
JHU Ballet: A classical dance company
Hopkins Breakers: A b-boying, or breakdancing, group
Yong Han Lion Dance Troupe: The Fut San style of dancing, which is based heavily in martial arts stances
Zinda (JHU Masti): Co-ed Bollywood Fusion Team
Sláinte: Hopkins' official Irish Dance team
Jaywalk Dance Group: A student-run dance with an emphasis on jazz and lyrical styles
JHU Modern Dance: Student, faculty, and staff members practice modern dance and host lessons for all
Listen Up Tap: Hopkins' only tap dance group
Posted in Student Life
Tagged homewood arts programs, dance
