Courtesy of John Seyfried
Dancers Leah Newman, College sophomore, Alana Reibstein, College junior, and Jesse Wiener, College senior, slide across Warner Main’s beloved wooden floor while emitting tired sighs in a stunning dance choreographed by College senior Ellen Askonas. Her piece, a bright highlight of the program, appeared in Spring Back, the spring companion to the Fall Forward show.
The performances took place last Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Spring Back featured a sound selection of contemporary dance choreography by Oberlin dance students, with a handful of standouts that made the show a memorable one. “Grape Juice City” propelled the show into action with caffeinated energy. Co-choreographers and College seniors Christopher McLauchlan, Wiener and Julia Sheppard, and College juniors Rachel Nesnevich and Caitrin Hughes played with funky and energetic yet structured movement that conjured a vibrant atmosphere.
Amid more lyrical pieces like College senior Nick Schrier’s duet with College first-year Frances Purcell titled “Just as I Thought,” impressive performances from Oberlin’s sword dancing group, Rust Belt Rappers, and a dance trapeze solo by College first-year Teddy
Ment offered exciting bursts of surprise. To end the evening with a bang, Reibstein starred alongside Schrier in her humorous piece “Blowing It.” Bridging elements of dance and performance art, “Blowing It” — a nod to her Fall Forward number “Don’t Blow It” — involved unusual props like a microwave filled with foam packaging peanuts and packaged hot dogs on plastic plates.