A wide variety of performers showed off their skills from hip-hop to Bollywood dance.
The Andover Theater and Dance Department presented this year’s second Andover Dance Festival (ADF) this past Friday. Previously known as Dance Open, an annual show from 2007 to 2023, ADF was rebranded as an opportunity to showcase student choreography across numerous styles. In an effort to mitigate the overwhelming demand of dance groups at Dance Open last year, the 2023-2024 dance producers reinvented the event and broke it up into two shows occurring just one month apart, thus preventing anyone from being turned away. Despite these new changes, dancer Adaora Mbanefo ’24 shared how the essence of the show remained intact.
“The main purpose of these dance shows is to demonstrate the talent we have here on campus beyond just our sports and athletics, which I feel like gets a lot of attention, but also just to show the array of talent we hold within our campus and how it very much spreads across groups. It’s not individually a group of dancers; you’re going to see your friends from all over coming together on one stage to be celebrated and do incredible things,” said Mbanefo.
This appreciation for performance diversity was shared by dancers and audience members alike, from hip-hop to traditional Chinese dance. Emma Greenhut ’25 remarked how the show exposed her to a wide range of dance styles, which in turn broadened her perspective on dance.
“The show featured traditional cultural dances, hip hop, Bollywood, Afro-Caribbean, and more, and all of it was outstanding. It’s really unique to get to see so many different genres together in under an hour, and it gave me a renewed appreciation for the variety of dance that exists,” said Greenhut.
Even as a dancer, watching the show in its entirety was one of the highlights for the performers. Kelly Yang ’24 provided an inside look into the process of putting together the pieces and the impact of the adjusted timeline on this process.
“It was definitely different. I think we were all a little jarred by the change… [but] just watching all the performances really come together was one of my favorite parts, especially since I was able to witness the struggle of fully choreographing and teaching a whole piece in such a short time. It was really cool to see everything and everyone’s visions come to life,” said Yang.
However, the adjusted timeline also had some benefits. Although new pieces were forced to be created within tight time constraints, existing dances had extra time to showcase their best work. Mbanefo shared how the second show allowed the dancers to really settle into the choreography and embrace their identity as performers.
“My favorite part was definitely seeing all our group members reach their highest potential in terms of learning and just coming to enjoy the pieces and knowing them further. I think it was really beautiful to watch them come into themselves as dancers,” said Mbanefo.
This development from the first show to the second was also recognized by those in the audience. Particularly, spectators who attended both shows were able to gain a new perspective by watching the dances with fresh eyes. Greenhut remarks how upon watching the show again, she developed a new understanding of one of the pieces.
“A memorable moment that stood out was Adele [Ciociola ’25]’s solo. I had seen it before at another previous dance festival, and I had thought it was excellent, but this time I really connected with it. It was so energetic and fierce. Adele’s dance moves were really cool, and I think a lot of the audience was mesmerized by them. It was a very memorable dance,” said Greenhut.
Overall, the show was a positive experience for both the performers and the audience members. While the adjusted timeline brought about new obstacles, it also provided new opportunities. Greenhut ended by noting that this was an event she would certainly re-attend.
“I would recommend the dance festival to everybody. Going to it was a very entertaining and enjoyable experience, and it was truly the perfect Friday night activity to relax for the weekend. The dancing was outstanding, and I reaped the added benefit of getting to see some of my peers perform. It was amazing to see my friends exploring art forms that they connected with, and I would totally go again,” said Greenhut.
