Students at the University will show off a semester of hard work during the fall Dance Alabama! showcase from Nov. 7-9.
Dance Alabama, a student-run organization that produces original performances each fall and spring semester, gives students a community to express themselves artistically through dance.
Ella Brandenberg, a senior majoring in marketing, and Ellie Congemi, a junior majoring in dance and public relations, are Dance Alabama’s president and vice president, respectively.
Dance Alabama held auditions at the beginning of September and since then, 35 dance pieces have been narrowed down to 20 through showcases that were judged by various staff, alumni, outside adjudicators and Theatre and Dance department faculty members.
Both Brandenberg and Congemi have been involved with Dance Alabama since their freshman year. They said the community they have found within the organization is special because of everyone’s shared passion for dance.
Congemi said that Dance Alabama is a unique opportunity because it allows students to continue dancing in college whether they are dance majors or not. She said she loves being able to share her passion for dance with everyone in the organization.
Dance Alabama was originally part of the University’s Department of Theatre and Dance and was directed by faculty until the show was cut from the department’s programming two years ago. Congemi said that after Dance Alabama was cut, the students took it upon themselves to keep it going.
Congemi said that the artists put a lot of work and care into each piece that will be on stage, and she added that she hopes students can see all the hours of dedication that have gone into making each detail of the show.
“There’s so many amazing pieces, and they are all so different,” Brandenberg said. “I think that’s what is so special about this concert. … There is so much diversity in what’s on stage, and it’s just so exciting to watch all of the dances through the process.”
Congemi and Brandenberg said they are especially excited to watch a contemporary-lyrical dance choreographed by Natalie Cook, a sophomore majoring in accounting, and Mackenzie Greer, a sophomore majoring in dance and public relations. The dance is to the song “Dawns” by Zach Bryan, and Congemi said the piece and its choreography are thrilling.
Cook and Greer said that they have been practicing their routine four to six hours a week for the majority of the semester.
They also said that they have been dancing together since the fifth grade, and they were inspired to choreograph this number because they have both loved and connected to the song for a long time.
“We’re known for a football school, but Alabama offers so much more than just football,” Cook said. “We have the arts, we have dance, which is such a big thing, and it’s just such a beautiful community.”
Both Cook and Greer said they are thrilled to share their hard work with everyone who comes to see Dance Alabama and that they want the audience to know that every aspect of the show — from stage lights and curtains to music and choreography — is handled by students.
Tickets for Dance Alabama can be purchased online through its website.
“It’s just like its own community, we’re all family, and we can connect with each other,” Greer said. “I found my friends being able to do what we all love to do together.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated Nov. 6 to include the correct spelling of Brandenberg’s last name.
