The Skyline Spring Dance Concert heralded the beginning of spring while marking the end of the semester.

On May 5 and 6, Skyline College excited people with an explosive performance of all forms of dance. The concert featured dances from various locations and times, from hip-hop and modern all the way to salsa and Filipino dances.

The show started with a few words from Diana Evans-Cushway the artistic director. She introduced the show and gave a brief background on the concert, emphasizing the fact that many dancers were beginners.

While the audience waited in the darkness for the show to commence, lights appeared with the company of sexy salsa music. At first, only two women were on stage. Soon, a group of partnered dancers moving exquisitely to the salsa beat followed.

When the Latin music ended, a new act appeared. The scene opened with a girl on the phone talking to someone who made her very angry. The dance, titled “I’m About To Break” was coincidentally accompanied by Linkin Park’s “One Step Closer.”

The all female cast clearly reflected the pressure, depression and torment students especially girls go through. The best part of the act was when each dancer throwing their cell phones on the floor and collapsing.

Soon after the great fall of the ladies, a large circle of light filled the center of the stage. Completely surrounded by darkness, a lone performer danced off into the silence. He performed an interpretive dance involving a book. The music in the background had an eerie feel, sounding like gypsy tunes, and a bit Italian. The performance was a great one but left audience with an odd feeling.

After the disappearance of the darkness, colorful lights showed many beings in lines. The entire act resembled a painting, and yet more like a dream. At first the performance was really slow, but right in the middle, a Latin beat was added; bringing an upbeat feel. The use of Hawaiian beats solidified the piece as a great mixture of cultures.

As soon as the picture perfect scene ended, a joyful group of children filled the stage. The children dressed in orange dresses flowed amongst each other beautifully. This piece also incorporated a salsa beat and, as the children pranced around, gave the entire show a sense of cuteness and young joy.

When the children floated off of the stage, the age of hip hop began. They opened up with a girl rapping as other dancers slowly came to life. The hip hop dance number was sexy and cool with the latest hip hop music playing. The solos would have made great acts, even if they had to stand on their own. Sadly, the hip hop number had to end and the hip hop segment, the audience was entitled to a brief intermission.

After the intermission, the dance show took on a Christmassy theme, with its use of Christmas props and lights. The interpretive dance, portrayed feelings and memories associated with the word “house.” The accompaniment by writings from Katharine Harer’s Creative Writing class set the piece apart from the other pieces.

The show took an upbeat turn when the Choral class lead a dance number from the Broadway musical Hairspray, set in 1962. The musical number recreates the dance and musical style of the time period, and the singers encouraged the audience to get up and do the new dance style entitled “The Skyline Fog”.

In the next piece, a giant blue tarpaulin was placed over the stage to create the imagery of being lost over the ocean. This tranquil interpretive dance featured dancers drifting through the seas and getting lost under the waves. The dancers did a good job with fluid movements and dancing, and used the stage and environment well.

Next, a beautiful dance of light and dark purple dresses was set to a calm, enchanting piano piece called Cristofori’s Dream. The dancers’ movements were coordinated with the music wonderfully and flowed just right.

To conclude the show, three pieces from the Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble led by Master Danongan Kalanduyan showcased Filipino dancing style and music. This was not the ensemble’s first performance here at Skyline, and again, they proved that they could deliver. The first two pieces were traditional Filipino dances, but the final piece was dancing mixed in with a martial arts display.

Overall, the show was completely amazing. The performers all danced well even if they were mostly beginners. The Spring Dance Concert was a perfect way to begin and end the season of spring.