Refresh Dance Crew showcased its eighth annual spring show, “Fates Align” in Ryan Family Auditorium to hundreds of people during three weekend performances .
Around 80 dancers performed contemporary, hip hop and jazz dances to songs including “On the Floor” by Jennifer Lopez and “Oxytocin” by Billie Eilish, choreographed by Refresh members.
Throughout the show, different colored lights lit up the stage, complementing different costume color schemes, as the performers danced in fluctuating formations.
McCormick senior and performer Isabel Zhong said the colors of the show were different from previous years, which often had strong vibrant colors like black or red. This year’s show featured lighter colors.
“The theme is actually really interesting this year because I think Refresh usually has a different vibe,” Zhong said.
The show had five sets, each with a destiny theme. Every set posed a question, which a magic 8-ball on a screen behind the stage answered.
The first set asked, “Is it fate?” to which the 8-ball replied, “Signs point to yes.” The final set asked, “Will it last forever?” to which the 8-ball replied, “As I see it, yes. For eternity.”
Communication senior and performer Chidera Olewuenyi said she felt the theme of the show is appropriate for her last show with Refresh.
“We all have gotten existential and tried to relate it back to all of our own lives,” Olewuenyi said. “Thinking about how fated we are to meet each other and how fated we are that we all came to Northwestern and decided to join Refresh.”
Throughout the show, there were four sections of freestyle, where four to five dancers took turns improvising to songs including “Truth or Dare” by Tyla and “Moment” by Victoria Monét.
After a 10-minute intermission, various student groups made guest appearances for each show.
On Friday night, improv comedy group Out Da Box performed a spoof on a dating show that featured impressions of Drake, Ken (from “Barbie”) and a banana. Saturday’s 7 p.m. show featured the Latin dance group Dale Duro.
During intermission at the 10 p.m. Saturday show, Refresh Dance Crew invited people from the audience to improvise on stage with the dancers. This was followed by a guest performance from K-Dance, a K-pop student dance group.
The show closed with a “High School Musical”-themed piece that featured Refresh seniors with basketballs, fedoras and feather boas. The music was a mashup of popular music from the series, including “We’re All In This Together” and “I Don’t Dance.”
Weinberg sophomore Jamila Sam attended the Friday night performance with posters to support her friends in Refresh.
“I love seeing everyone’s facial expressions, especially for the performance value,” Sam said. “It was just super fun to watch.”
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