The Cerritos College Dance Department and the Associated Students of Cerritos College held the first showing of the annual Fall Dance concert. The first showing took place on Nov. 1, with two shows that followed on Nov. 2-3.

Students from all backgrounds, talents and majors came together to showcase a two hour performance of various styles of dance.

Dance styles ranged from contemporary, hip-hop, salsa and African.

While there wasn’t a specific theme to the whole show, dancer Solarith Van, undecided major, stated that “every piece itself was very specific to the choreographer.”

There were nine faculty choreographers with the help of a special guest choreographer Cyrian Reed.

For the opening number, choreographed by Christine Gregory with collaboration from the dancers, caught the audiences’ attention with abstract movements with 19 students scattered around the stage.

Performance “Escenario o Calle,” brought an endless amount of energy to close out act 1 that Darren Stokes, theatre major, described that this number “truly made me want to get out of my seat and dance.”

Stokes said Escenario o Calle inspired him to go to the next audition for the next concert.

Chilon Woodard, kinesiology major, performed in four pieces.

Woodard felt the vision they had for the dance performance was met, “especially in their last performance.”

The closing hip-hop piece displayed high-energy that Woodard explained they worked really hard on.

As far as the practices went, each dancer had differing set days depending on which piece they were in.

It may seem difficult to juggle school, work and their social life with hours of practice, but Van has a positive outlook on all of it.

Van said, “If you love it enough there is no compromise or balance, you just do it. You struggle, but you do it.”

It differs for every person though, Woodard stated that it was a bit more difficult trying to keep up with her social life.

“When you want to go out you feel so drained and some people don’t understand that this isn’t a recreational activity, this [is] your passion.”

While some of the dancers had previous experience before this concert like Lauren Hodge, dance major, who has danced for two years, not everyone had the same advantage.

Some dancers just began dancing for the first time this semester.

Hodge explained that there were some challenges at first with the more newer dancers but “you get used to it and everyone comes together and helps each other out.”

The fall dance concert had the audiences’ eyes glued to the stage and was a “complete success,” Stokes stated.

He added, “The concert as a whole deserved a standing ovation. The dancers were so energetic it made me want to jump on the stage with them.”