Review of ReVisions 2015
January 20, 2015
At Dance Studio One on Thursday, Jan. 15 and Friday, Jan. 16, singers, songwriters, and dancers alike put on an incredible 17 act show at ReVisions.
ReVisions is the high school’s student variety show featuring both solo acts and group performances. It is an opportunity for dancers and musicians to perform original pieces, or to take existing music, such as a pop song, and completely rearrange it to make it work for the performers, according to Christien Polos, Dance Department Teacher Leader.
The first musical act of the night was a performance of “Breathless,” a song composed and sung by sophomore Carolyn Fahrner. Fahrner was accompanied on the piano by sophomore Naomi Goodheart, who also provided back-up vocals. The piece was about loving someone who may not necessarily love back. Lyrics such as “words seem useless but you make me breathless” sung so innocently and beautifully seemed to strike a chord with the entire audience.
In the dance entitled “Coldest Winter,” choreographed and performed by junior Johanna Kepler, and seniors Najmah Yusuf and Sherly Estime, three figures emerged onto the stage with white skirts covering most of their upper and lower bodies. The suspense mounted as the performers rose from the ground one by one, pulling their skirts down to their waists. Throughout the piece, the performers seemed to convey a message of exclusion. Two of the dancers were clearly together while another was all by herself. Eventually the lone dancer realized that she no longer should try to fit in, so she took off her white skirt entirely, in order to stand out. The piece was performed with such passion that the message of the piece was crystal clear.
Another musical piece was “Outlaws” by David Lambert, performed by sophomores Alejandro Marin on drums, Nina Pittas on the piano, Kamran Sakhitab on the electric guitar and Maya Mokady singing vocals. The group showed a strong mixture of talent. Love was an overarching theme in this performance, as Mokady belted out lyrics such as “love, love, love is my crime. So baby come catch me and let’s do the time” with absolutely perfect pitch.
After a brief 10 minute intermission, the show returned with the same caliber of performances as before.
The Testostatones showed an immense array of talent with their a capella performance of “Trumpets” by Jason Derulo. The all-male group was clad in a variety of silly costumes that ranged from lobster claws to athletic gear, and from a formal suit to beachwear. One of the lead singers showcased his killer falsetto voice while singing the chorus of the pop song. Another singer engaged the audience by first throwing his baseball cap to some ladies sitting in the front row, then by throwing the audience his ruby red lobster claws. The crowd went wild.
When the show was over there was a roar of applause and shouts. Polos thanked the audience for being so invested, but it was all thanks to the talented performers.
Haley Bayne can be contacted at [email protected].
