Marist Dance Ensemble’s (MDE) 2025 Spring Showcase, “Limitless,” was presented to the public on April 26 and 27, featuring 25 dances in a diverse range of styles including hip hop, tap, contemporary, Irish step, jazz, musical theater, modern and ballet.
According to Adriana Kreatsoulas ‘26, a third-year member of MDE, “The group always tries to explore a variety of genres to make sure everyone has a dance best suited for them.”
Each dance was choreographed by different members of the MDE, and is executed by a grouping of students unique to each number. Representing first through fourth year students and beginner through advanced levels, the mix encourages a different intention and story to be brought to each piece.
Choreographer Desiree Sansone ‘27 collaborated with Sophia Over ‘27 to create a 90s medley hip-hop dance for the showcase, utilizing retro music from their childhood.
“We incorporated a few specific ’90s moves into the choreo, such as the running man and the Cabbage Patch, to give a nod to the era, and to offer something we hadn’t seen before in our time with MDE,” said Sansone.
Sansone and Over’s objective was to deliver a mix of slower moves to emphasize the expressive, “promiscuous” parts of the piece, along with sharp, quicker movements to imbue their number with fierceness.
Expanding the contrast in styles across the performance, numerous different musical genres were incorporated in the lineup of numbers. With other song choices including “Let It Be,” “Oscar Winning Tears,” “Beat It” and “Sticky,” choreographers created a melting pot performance that blended modern mainstream music with older classics.
“I want people to go through all the emotions, I want them to get the storytelling. [Oscar Winning Tears] is a story-centric piece. People can also have fun and let go during our upbeat hip hop dances,” said Kreatsoulas.
The qualities of each piece, as she described, are intended to resonate in different ways, creating a tapestry for audience members.
While the audience impact is one important component of the performance, Sansone believes the most important is the mentality that performers approach each dance with.
“The audience doesn’t know the choreography, we do,” she explained. “I’d rather they mess up the choreography versus doing everything right without enjoying themselves.”
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
