Students lined up outside of Strasser Studio in Hartwell Hall with excited anticipation. Guests took their seats, palpable enthusiasm filling the air. The show was about to begin.
Student Dance Organization, known as SDO, hosted their annual spring fundraiser Dancing with the Athletes on Thursday, March 26. The event was a collaboration between SDO and club sports. Members of SDO choreographed dances for dancers and student athletes to perform together. At the end of the night, a winner was crowned based off a combination of audience votes and student judges’ feedback.
SDO Vice President Gianna Santivenere said Dancing with the Athletes is SDO’s biggest event. This is the second year SDO held Dancing with the Athletes since they had to stop the annual tradition because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Santivenere started planning this year’s event all the way back in the summer.
“I reached out to every single club sport asking if they wanted to participate,” Santivenere said. “We always get a lot of turnout. And it helps other club sports, it helps us engage with our community.”
Dancing with the Athletes is more than a campus collaboration, as SDO also used the event to fundraise for a local charity. SDO picks a new charity every year; in previous years, they used the proceeds to make donations to organizations like Cobblestone Arts Center and Mr. Grey’s Strays. This year, SDO raised $557 from Dancing with the Athletes. SDO will select the charity the proceeds from this year’s event will go to within the next week.
One challenge that came up when preparing for the event was finding opportunities for each team to rehearse, according to SDO Treasurer Cailyn Gordon. The Department of Dance recently lost two rehearsal studios in order to create laboratory and simulation space for the new School of Nursing.
“That was really hard, especially this year with our student-led show through the dance department,” Gordon said. “Everyone was having rehearsals back to back to back, and it was really stressful on everyone. And it really sucks, because I know the nursing department needs that space, but us as dancers, we need to find a better way to use that space and use all of it.”
Five club sports teams participated in this year’s event: Club Cheerleading, Men’s Club Rugby, Club Tennis, Club Baseball and Club Pickleball. After the club sports teams signed up, they were matched with student choreographers and dancers from SDO. From there, they created and rehearsed their pieces to prepare for the competition.
Club Cheerleading opened the night with a performance to “Hot Wings” from the 2011 animated film “Rio.” In the piece, choreographed by Grace Riolo, the dancers dazzled audiences with precise formations and fluid movements. This high-spirited channeled the energy of Carnival and set the tone for the rest of the night.
Second to perform was Men’s Club Rugby. Inspired by the 2007 animated film “Surf’s Up,” their performance included The Romantics’ “What I Like About You,” as well as dialogue from the film. Choreographed by Gordon, this dynamic piece reflected the playfulness of “Surf’s Up,” from its dramatic opening with intricate lifts to its humorous ending. The cherry on top of an already-grand performance were the performers’ commitment to their characters, even dressing up like the penguins from the film.
Gordon said that choreographing for the Men’s Club Rugby Team was an easy process.
“They were willing to do anything I told them to do, and they were also willing to put their ideas in, which is really helpful as a choreographer,” Gordon said. “They helped with the costuming, giving me suggestions, things like that.”
Next was Club Tennis’ performance to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from 1987 film “Dirty Dancing.” Sydney Johnson’s choreography transported the audience to Kellerman’s Resort, capturing “Dirty Dancing’s” timelessness. The routine was filled with immersive storytelling, complete with a recreation of Baby and Johnny’s iconic lift.
Club Tennis Treasurer Aidan Nassimos said he participated in Dancing with the Athletes to because it was an opportunity that was different from things he’s done before.
“You go to college to try new things,” Nassimos said. “It’s always good to get out of your comfort zone.”
Being able to learn from the members of SDO helped Nassimos feel more comfortable dancing and ready to perform the routine. Nassimos detailed how SDO member Bella Gibeault helped him get out of his head when learning the dance.
“[Practicing] with Bella, I felt like I knew what I was doing,” Nassimos said. “It was measured, and I understood, which is good.”
Club Baseball’s performance followed, choreographed by Kailey Tkazyik. They danced to “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin'” from the 2013 Disney Channel Original Movie “Teen Beach Movie.” With synchronicity and showmanship, their routine brought “Teen Beach Movie” to life, channeling the rough-yet-fun energy of the bikers from the film.
The final group to perform was Club Pickleball. With a routine choreographed by Sofia Bianco, they performed a routine to “Barden Bella’s Remix” from the “Pitch Perfect” franchise. This performance was lively from start to finish, and ended with the performers inviting audience members to dance along with them.
After the student judges gave their input and audience members submitted their votes, Club Pickleball’s routine was crowned the best performance of the night. Club Cheerleading placed second, Club Baseball in third, Men’s Club Rugby in fourth place and Club Tennis in fifth.
Santivenere explained that programming like Dancing with the Athletes is important to SDO because they want students to know that SDO isn’t just a club for dance students. SDO hosts programming any Brockport student can participate in, from open-level dance classes to jewelry-making and craft nights.
“We’re more than just dancers,” Santivenere said. “This is a club that we all have an interest in mind, but we really encourage everyone to participate, like even people who are athletes want to participate and be part of SDO.”
Gordon explained collaborative events help people who are part of different clubs form connections.
“It’s important for people in one club to get to know another club, create friendships,” Gordon said. “I have friends who performed in this event because of last year’s event, and I have friends from all over campus who came to support me, so that was really fun, too.”
Students interested in SDO can learn more about their upcoming events through their Instagram page and on myBrockport.
