For many students on campus, extracurricular activities provide a creative outlet and a way to release stress from the heavy workload of college. Optima, the largest student-run dance organization on campus, is no exception.
In an interview with The Daily Cardinal, Optima president Sarah Bloemer shared how “many girls didn't think that they'd be able to dance in college,” but Optima has given them that opportunity.
At the end of each semester, Optima produces a show featuring student-choreographed numbers, each requiring its own audition. Their spring semester showcase was a big success — before the lights rose for the first dance, the crowd erupted in a roar that lasted through the entire show.
The showcase started with a powerful hip-hop dance to “On The Floor,” choreographed by Alicyn Stephans, and ended with a finale featuring all 220 of their impressive dancers taking the stage at the same time.
Membership has soared from 110 to 220 in the past four years, which Bloemer called “absolutely incredible.”
The entire performance was a masterclass in highlighting different genres while still feeling like a cohesive program. They showcased 43 different numbers featuring various genres, including ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, pom, tap, heels and musical theater.
Some of the standout performances including “Mr. Bluesky,” choreographed by Julia Feast, had stunning visuals and gorgeous musicality. “Somebody to Love,” choreographed by Hannah Pedretti, showcased beautiful emotion and a beautiful turn sequence and “Upgrade U,” a high-energy hip-hop piece choreographed by Jillian Pohoryles with a perfect mix of eye-catching formations and impressive solos.
Optima is entirely student-run and all of the pieces are student-choreographed. The student choreographers have the difficult job of choosing each and every component of their piece, including the music selection, lighting and costumes, but their creativity shines throughout.
“Happy Halloween!” choreographed by Abby Sinitz told of the story of girls feeling confident despite what they are wearing in a hilariously impressive number featuring all of the dancers decked out in various Halloween costumes. And “The End of Love” choreographed by Brynn Frank had the dancers wearing stunning green dresses with flower crowns that used styling in a surprising way to further drive forward the stories that she was trying to tell.
Another piece that shined through was “After Alaska - For Will,” choreographed by Annie Stamp. This dance was a tribute to her brother, Will Stamp, using a song written by Will himself. The choice of using her brother's song in a tribute to him resonated beautifully with the audience in a melancholic and beautiful way.
The final small group number was a senior showcase choreographed by Hayley Javoroski. With a bittersweet tone, the number illustrated all of the dancers’ unique abilities while also allowing them to dance with each other one last time.
After the conclusion of their record-breaking spring showcase, Optima now begins the process of preparing for the fall semester. Bloemer, a graduating senior, called the club “one of the most amazing parts of my college career.”
