Iona College is a place where students can express themselves in a variety of ways from athletics to extra-curricular activities. This philosophy shined through at the Iona College Dance Ensemble’s fall dance concert, “Kinetic Maze,” which took place in the Murphy Auditorium on Nov. 15 and 16.

The concert included dances from the students in the Dance Ensemble, Dr. Hannah Park, assistant professor for the Fine and Performing Arts department and director of the ensemble, guest professional dancer Tumi Nkomo and Allison Pagano, an adjunct professor for the Fine and Performing Arts department.

There were several performances that shined above the rest during this showcase. The first was the avant-garde dance piece called “Kinetic Maze I.” The performance used many forms of dance, beginning with a constant melodic beat and the dancers entering the stage. There was no pattern to this dance, and it allowed for the performers to express many emotions and ideas in the first moments of the act.

For example, a patterned background that almost looked like bricks baking in the sun showed that this dance took place somewhere warm and urban, which was followed by the dancers running around like city goers on a busy day.

Next, the same performers rolled over each other in a way of deliberate movement as life rolls over them as well.

Another standout performance was by a single performer dancing with string instrumentation in the background. As a part of this dance, she intimately touched herself in beat and rhythm with the music that accompanied the red glow and background of the stage.

The next memorable performance was one called “The Spirit of Molilele,” which took on a tropical theme with hula skirts and the dance that accompanied it.

This dance was the first part of the showcase where the accompanying music started having lyrics. The focus on the tropical theme continued with oceanic language sending ambient vibes of a tropical location. At the same time, the stage was going through a transformation, as there was a changing of pictures of many tropical locations, such as a hill overlooking the beach, the ocean and huts in the Pacific.

Another notable performance was the dance “Transformative Pathways,” which included one dancer with a single musician on the bass guitar. The dance took place in front of an image of a maze projected onto the back of the stage, which implied that the performer was currently stuck in this maze. The bass player used many pedals to make the sound of the instrument sound more mystical, while the dancer went throughout the aisles aimlessly looking for the exit as if in a real maze.

She eventually found the source of the music and proceeded to dance before leaving the stage and clearly walking toward the aisle exits as it seems as though she has found the exit to the maze.

The Iona College Dance Ensemble executed these performances beautifully along with the other dances in the “Kinetic Maze” showcase. If you missed the winter concert, the Iona College Dance Ensemble will perform again in the spring semester.