Review: Revisions

Senior Watson Njoku, sophomore Karin Pan, and junior Genny Bondaryk, dance to a piano version of the song “Hello” by Adele. Revisions holds a variety of talent, with dancing, singing, and improv in the 90-minute show.

Cleo Falvey/ Sagamore Staff

Senior Watson Njoku, sophomore Karin Pan, and junior Genny Bondaryk, dance to a piano version of the song “Hello” by Adele. Revisions holds a variety of talent, with dancing, singing, and improv in the 90-minute show.

Cleo Falvey, Arts Writing Editor

Variety is the spice of life, and variety was certainly in abundance at Revisions 2016. Held in Dance Studio One in the Tappan Gym at 7:30 p.m., the showcase of dancing, singing and improv had the theater crowded. A supportive audience was engaged throughout the entirety of the 90-minute show.

The night opened with the first of six modern dance pieces, performed and choreographed by students in the choreography dance class. Freshman Dita Berline, sophomore Isabelle Cotney and senior Anijah Lender danced to a piano version of the song “I’m Only Human” by Christina Perri. The dance was soulful and contained plenty of extensions and layers of movement, going from standing to lying down throughout the piece.

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Dancers lift each other during the first performance of the night, a choreography study. Cleo Falvey / Sagamore Staff

Juniors Carolyn Fahrner and Naomi Goodheart followed the dance with a performance of the original song “The Mountain,” which was composed by Goodheart. The two girls’ voices were sweet and lilting, Goodheart’s ukulele adding to the hopeful and yearning tune. The song was about tumbling down the mountain, and then rising up to eventually be in charge.

Sophomore Sarah Groustra danced an original modern dance called “Un-Recipient” to the song “Who I want You to Love” by Bleachers. Groustra’s dance was energetic, with high kicks and leaps, but was contrasted by more somber and slow movements. The dance ended on a slower note, and Groustra curled on the floor while the lights and music dimmed.

Another choreography study, this one by senior Watson Njoku, sophomore Karin Pan and junior Genevieve Bondaryk, danced to a piano version of the song “Hello” by Adele. Their dance was slow, somber, and costumes were minimal to focus on the complex movements. The dancers lifted each other and twirled around, building off each others’ movements and forming aesthetically pleasing patterns.

Testostatones performed the song “Someone New” by Hozier. The members of the singing group were wearing themed outfits: Pajamas. Junior Emmett Dunn-McMartin sang a solo while the group artfully harmonized around him, and the group encouraged the eager audience to clap along for the last chorus.

After a short intermission, the high school’s improv group Needs Improvment entered the stage. As usual, they accepted suggestions from the audience before moving on to do a wacky, hilarious show. The audience’s first suggestion for the theme was “heartbreak in a big cruel world,” which then was changed to themes such as pregnancy, big city internships and working on Wall Street.

Junior Sarah Dreyfus sang the song “Age” by Lianne La Havas. A solo piece accompanied only by a guitar, she skillfully wove her way through the piece about being in love with a scandalously older man. Her voice soared up to a high key during the piece, which had elements of jazz and slow, sensual notes. This piece was among one of the most well-received, with the audience cheering Dreyfus’ name. She was given a thunderous round of applause as she exited.

Seniors Sasha Saias, Hannah Skoff and  Jessica Leipman and junior Ndaru Kartikaningsih performed to the song “Pure/Hawaii” by Blackbird Blackbird. Their original dance was accented with angular movements. The group came together to form geometric shapes with their bodies, occasionally by artistically draping themselves over each other.

The show closed with Note-A-Fy, led by senior Jerilyn McLean, singing “Elusive” by Lianne La Havas. This song was more haunting than the others but was still an excellent way to end the night. Revisions will perform two more shows tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 14 at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. This show is a must-see due to its variety and talented performers.