Graffiti Dancers and TONIK Tap flexed their contemporary and tap muscles on Friday and Saturday during the 10th anniversary Graffoniks show, “Graffoniks is Out of This World.”
Together, the two student dance groups showcased the leaps, taps and twirls of 48 dancers in the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts before a total of around 475 audience members between four shows.
Graffiti Dancers opened the show dancing to “Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monáe. Dancers and tappers showcased their work through 22 total numbers, dancing to songs such as “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan and “Pink + White” by Frank Ocean.
Weinberg junior and Graffiti Dancers member Fei Hao said she enjoyed dancing with the TONIK Tap tappers during their joint numbers: “It’s ok I’m ok” by Tate McRae and “Guess featuring billie eilish” by Charli XCX and Billie Eilish.
Hao added that her favorite number to perform was “THE GREATEST,” off Billie Eilish’s latest album.
“I just really like how the piece really came together with the lighting and the costumes, the black silk dresses, and I really like how emotional the piece was,” Hao said.
Communication senior and Marketing Director of TONIK Tap Alex Angrist said her favorite piece from the event was “…,” an a capella tap piece choreographed by Weinberg senior Cate Osborne, TONIK Tap’s artistic director, and Communication senior Joshua Messmore.
Angrist added that the 5-minute long number was a fresh challenge because it required her and her fellow dancers “to be really in tune with each other” and ensure their “rhythms (were) hitting together.”
“It’s been really cool to challenge myself, to listen to my friends more and make sure that I’m on rhythm and that my sounds are clean,” Angrist said.
Angrist was one of the 11 seniors who had their last Graffoniks performance this weekend. The audience engaged with heightened applause for the “Senior Jam,” an improv number highlighting graduating students. Seniors from both TONIK Tap and Graffiti Dancers took to the stage for their last solo moments while dancing to “Cosmic Love” by Florence & the Machine.
Other highlights of the night included TONIK Tap’s “Fancy,” during which the group appeared in sunglasses, and Graffiti Dancers’ small group performance of “Eusexua,” featuring lifts and emotional dancing.
McCormick sophomore Angela Xu attended the show to watch her friends dance and said she enjoyed seeing their passions in action.
“It’s just so fun to see a different side of them when you watch them perform,” Xu said.
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