Dancers bring the funk to Fredonia

On April 18th five Fredonia Students battled it out in the final round of "So You Think You Can Dance, Fredonia?" At the judging table, the panel consisted of theatre professor Tom Laughlin, grad student Lauren Kerzee and Amanda Sahr, the winner of last year's competition. The show started off with a creative, fun performance by all the cast members and a slide show introducing all the contestants. Tim Thistleton, the entertaining host of the evening, then introduced each of the dancers one by one.

The winner was Sammy Torres, a junior from Albion, NY. When asked to express his type of dance, Torres termed his moves "Sammy-Sass." The judges described his stunning performance as "dead sexy." Kerzee showed emotion when commending Sammy on his progression of finding his own style. Kerzee applauded, "I have known you for three years and I know at first your dance choice was hip-hop, but now you have found your own style. Don't lose your attitude."

"Funk" seemed to be what the judges were looking for, and Torres, described as the fire cracker of the competition, brought just that. Choosing an interesting Bollywood song, Sammy grabbed the room's attention with articulate isolations, powerful connections with the pulse and rhythm, and of course, a whole lot of attitude.

First runner up Jordan Simone, a sophomore from Buffalo, NY, brought a new twist of break dancing and modern emotion to the competition. Performing to "My Immortal" by Evanescence, Simone created a spectacle of gravity-defining moves that wowed the audience as well as the panel of judges. Laughlin claimed Simone was "one hell of a talent, very athletic." Simone has been break dancing for five years and learning other styles at Fredonia for two years. Laughlin encouraged Simone to continue to mold and master his new dance.

Capturing the second runner up title, Cori Henry lured the crowd with a blend of styles and passionate dancing. "The piece meant a lot to me; I basically had to try to incorporate the last nineteen years of my life," Henry said. The junior from Oneonta, NY, has been dancing since she was three years old. Dancing to"Use Somebody" by Pixie Lott, this was the first dance she ever choreographed on her own.

Emily Bird, known for dancing with great intensity and heart, intrigued her audience with strong expressions and moves. A sophomore from Vestal, NY, Bird danced to the song "Under the Sheets" by Ellie Goulding. Also a first time choreographer, Bird enchanted the judges with her "legs for days" and was complimented on the beautiful lines she created with her body and movement.

Nicholas Bernard, a freshman from Rochester, NY, blew everyone away when they learned that his captivating dance was derived from just one year of dance experience. Performing to "Daydreamer" by Adele, Bernard took on the floor with great drive and soul. Judge Sahr complimented Bernard on his emphasis on emotion.

"I love when the dancer takes moments in a piece, the moments of staring and closed eyes really added to the performance," Sahr said. Bernard took some heat about his sweater from the judges as they found it a distraction to his dance.

Every dancer brought a different vibe, intensity and spirit to the floor. The top three winners will receive monetary prizes and the top dancer, Torres, was rewarded the opportunity to perform his piece at the fall concert for student dance group Orchesis.