VIBE--shaking things up in Wilder Main

It is the sixth VIBE performance this weekend, but does anybody know what to expect? With different choreographers and dancers each semester, one would assume that change would be inherent. Dancers may come and go, but the talent remains.

Senior dance major and VIBE co-chair and co-founder Caitlin Medlock, one of the brightest talents on campus, has been keeping VIBE alive since its first season in Spring 1996. An excellent tap dancer, Medlock brought the energy suggested by the group's name to Wednesday evening's dress rehearsal, especially in "On the Road."

Choreographed by sophomore VIBE co-chair Brinda Adhikari, "On the Road" is truly the highlight of the show. With meticulous and synchronized movements, the sonics of the piece were engaging and uplifting. Special attractions of this quartet were token VIBE male, sophomore Jordan Mueller, and Medlock's animated facial expressions and body language.

In fact, all three tap pieces were stimulating. "Inslide Out," choreographed by Medlock, featured a call and response sequence which demonstrated the dancers' ability to perform both simple and complex steps. As with many of the evening's pieces, "Inslide Out" involved too many people on the tiny stage, confusing the audience's visual and aural senses. The same criticism can be said of "23 Guys and a Girl", in which senior Kerry Wee incorporated both tap and jazz dancers in a final curtain call.

In combining both genres into a single piece, Wee showed innovation and creative effort. Her originality was also evident through the introduction of industrial sized fans into "Insomnia." The creativity demonstrated in the use of fans, however, did not extend into the actual choreography of the dance.

In tight black pants and various colored bras, the performers took turns dancing provocatively before the fans with a style suggestive of a Victoria's Secret commercial rather than sleeplessness.

Furthermore, the fans them-selves were not utilized to the best of their potential. The motion of the fans produced a rippling of the backdrop which insinuated that a costume of loose, flowing material might have been more appropriate in maximizing such an interactive prop, not to mention insomnia.

Another example of interesting forethought left underdeveloped was the use of strobe lighting in "Helix," a piece choreographed and performed by Wee and senior Arden Kaywin. The two noted in the program that they "had fun in the studio exploring spatial relationships within the structure of a great piece of music."

While the music was, in fact, evocative, the spatial relationships were not. The piece was a repetition of commonplace dance moves rather than an exploration of relationships. With few exceptions, the duo danced as though they were two soloists and the supposed chemistry between the pair was difficult to detect.

The strobe lights, which changed the entire atmosphere of Wilder Main, was a highlight of the show, but the dancers could have made better use of such a surreal setting.

In general, however, the lighting for the show was solid and appropriate. With blue lighting for "Metastable Phases" and spotlighting for "On the Road," the lighting designers did a great job of accompanying the performers and their pieces, especially considering the confining architecture of Wilder Main.

Most student performances have difficulty securing a space other than Wilder Main, which is unfortunate for dance as well as theater. However, as VIBE has been performing in Wilder Main for six semesters, it seems fair to expect proper compensation for tight space.

Unfortunately, space was not the only thing working against the VIBE performers. The "family-type" relationship between the "VIBE girls" actually alienates rather than provides the inclusive exchange of energy that VIBE co-chairs note as an aspect of the group.

This phenomenon is reflective of college sororities in which a large focus is placed on female appearance. VIBE jazz pieces seem to highlight the female body as an objectification of sexual desire rather than focusing on the body as a medium for communication and expression.

Hopefully VIBE dancers will explore the possibilities of jazz movement more in their spring performance, as the group is clearly composed of a diverse and well-versed set of talents.

VIBE performs in Wilder Main tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m.

Blur: Keep your eyes on the women, and one man, of VIBE. They move too quickly for the camera, but delight audiences. (photo by Beth O'Brien)