AACC Dancers: Just Plain Fun

All Anne Arundel Community College Dance Company members cheerfully endured a grueling workout consisting of two 8 p.m. performances Friday and Saturday [May 6 and 7] at AACC’s Pascal Center in addition to a 2 p.m. first-ever guest appearance to cap the Performing Arts Association of Linthicum’s current five-concert season at Chesapeake Arts Center in Brooklyn Park.

Far from seeming exhausted, the dancers impressed PAAL audience members as one of the liveliest groups in recent memory. Audience comments were very favorable ranging from describing the AACC dancers as “beautiful,” “unbelievably talented,” “electric,” and by several in the audience as plain “fun.” 

On hand earlier to rehearse the dancers and at 2 p.m. to introduce them to the PAAL audience, AACC Dance Company Coordinator and Director Lynda Fitzgerald, who started the company 22 years ago, expressed her delight and the dancers’ happiness at being invited by PAAL to present their program, which she hoped everyone would enjoy.

The program began and ended with challenging, innovative works choreographed by Fitzgerald that were fresh and amusing. First was a premier of Fitzgerald’s new work “Apathy…Whatever” that combined in new ways her own choreographic hallmarks such as superb athleticism featuring great leaps and extensions plus cartwheels and weightless falls, all executed with flawless timing. 

The first half ended with Fitzgerald’s 2010 piece “Indecision,” surprisingly set to Mozart’s music to prove that skilled young dancers of the 21st century can give lively joyous fresh expression in new interpretative movement to Mozart’s incomparable eternally young music.

Student choreography is always a major element of the spring dance program, and here were several excellent works – two most moving creations by Shalyee “Shea” Hemby.  The first “In a Parallel Universe” was perfectly synchronized with each partner’s step mirroring the other without the couple ever touching.

Hemby’s second piece - “Race for the Cure” was a profoundly moving and uplifting work where dancers imitating runners began with great energy while a hospital-gowned figure appeared initially to struggle to move his pain-wracked body at all.  As the runners continued to the point of near exhaustion expressed by their remaining crouched at rest position as if attempting to rise, the patient appeared, expressing increased vigor to create a hopeful, inspirational message.

“After Hours” choreographed by Samuel Boquist and Anwar Thomas to music by Leslie Bricusse became a clear favorite of the PAAL audience. Danced by a group of eight strong male dancers, the number was reminiscent of romantic Hollywood golden-age musicals with the added twist of contemporary moves by dancers who combined vigor with remarkable flexibility.

Among the many other noteworthy pieces were two most outstanding - “You’re Living in My World” choreographed by Melajero Williams and the nostalgic number “Action/Reaction” that closed the program danced to Benny Goodman’s music and choreographed in 1985 by Fitzgerald, who updated her choreography in 2010.  

To see the entire young troupe emulate past jitterbugging as well as create their own marvelous moves was a major treat for the audience and proved that Benny Goodman could join the timeless ranks of Mozart.