The Cerritos College Dance Department is back this semester with its lively Spring concert, co-directed by Christine Gregory and Rebekah Hathaway.

For a general admission price of $20, the concert opened its doors from March 23 to March 25 at 8 p.m. each night.

The Performing Arts Center, though not filled to capacity, still held a sizable audience of family and friends of the performers and dance enthusiasts alike. Every now and then, people cheered encouraging comments.

As always, the dance concert showcased a wide variety of dances ranging from cultural to whimsical and classical.

The talent of the dancers was further enhanced with the stage lighting and soundtracks.

The more upbeat pieces were paired with more vibrant and warm-toned lights, while the more sentimental ones were paired with somber and cool-toned colors.

“We, the dance department, definitely pride ourselves in the diversity in each of our concerts. There is a different energy each year,” Steve Rosa said, who is a part-time staff member of the dance department.

Steve Rosa, a former dance student at Cerritos, was the choreographic talent behind three of the numbers; “Semillas,” “Buscando y Dando”, and “Bollywood Mashup.”

Rosa was also the videographer taking photographs and recording the concert.

Diverse is indeed the best way to describe the concern as Spring Dance 2023 showcased a blend of Bollywood, Latin Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, African and Hip hop.

The first number, “Funga,” choreographed by Monik Jones, was a traditional African dance, featuring the drumming talent of David Hilal and Clayton Kraus. The audience enthusiastically clapped along to the rhythm and sang along.

During the brief intermission after Act I, some audience members discussed amongst themselves which performance they like the most and which ones they anticipated the most from the second act.

The audience matched the energy of each performance; clapping along to the more upbeat ones or sitting back quietly and appreciating the more classical ballet pieces.

One such performance was the eighth performance of the night: “Hero.”

“Hero” was a collaboration between student choreographer Erik Morales and the star dancer, Melodee Aguilera.

“Hero” took a more artistic and emotional approach with its music track, lighting and choreography.

The final performance of the night concluded the concert on a jovial note with its tenth number called “Bollywood Mashup.”

“Bollywood Mashup” featured a total of twenty-one dancers in total, making it the biggest performance of the night and a spectacular finale.

As the curtains drew to a close, the audience cheered and clapped with the occasional shout of support.

Spring Dance 2023 was a melting pot of culture and talent. Diversity can be found within the cast or performers as well.

This year’s lineup consisted of dancers of all ages and backgrounds coming together to deliver an astounding performance that was stimulating to the senses, both visually and aurally.

Like every other year, the concert cements what the dance department prides itself on.

Whether a fan of ballet, hip hop, or traditional music, the concert offered the audience a variety that appealed to the varying tastes of the patrons.

To keep up with future or upcoming theater events, look at their website for more information. Y