As the lights dim and the packed theater goes silent, the spotlight hits the stage as two women emerge in the light. ‘Collective‘ had began.

City College’s fourth annual spring dance concert premiered an exquisite series of performances Thursday, March 24 at The New Vic Theater in downtown Santa Barbara.

The concert remained diverse as each performance was unique and stayed true to their respective styles. Every dancer combined passion and elegance in their performances, which was very visually appealing.

The concert opened with “Wake” choreographed by Assistant Artistic Director Brooklyn Hughes Melton, along with Carisa Carroll, choreographer and City College student. This piece was amazing from start to finish. The women had an immense amount of upper body strength, which complimented the dance nicely as they danced around with much force.

As each of the women had their own solos, it created a sense of community. The chemistry that they shared was apparent in the way they lifted each other up with a sense of trust.

Another dance that was performed was called “Water Under the Bridge,” choreographed by UCSB Dance Professor Jerry Pearson, with resetting by Artistic Director Tracy R. Kofford. With three women and three men, this was a very dominating performance as there was so much emotion and tension within the actions of the dance.

The women hopped onto the men and had to physically hold themselves there for about 10 seconds. As they slid themselves down the men’s torso and legs, there was this intense feeling of a hopeless love that had been lost. The title stayed true to the dance because there was this sensation of despair.

“De_mentia” was one of the final dances in the series of performances that was choreographed by danah bella, guest choreographer and professor and artistic director at Radford University. This performance was exceptionally powerful because it was lifeless in the beginning.

The dancers started out by laying on the ground and rolling from side to side without music. As the music started, so did the fast-paced dancing. The dancers moved incredibly fast, throughout the piece they threw their bodies to the ground so hard that it made a statement.

The last dance in the series was “Kazoo,” choreographed by guest choreographer Corrie Farbstein. This was a performance that was very fun and joyful. With a compilation of music from Justin Bieber, Kygo and Macklemore, the dance was entertaining as the audience began to dance in their seats during the performance.

The performance was a professional version of dancing in the car. Their bodies moved sharply and were refined. There were so many dancers on stage, it was hard to pick a certain spot.

The concert will continue to run through Sunday, March 26. Tickets can be bought here for $17, or $22 at the door.