The City College Dance Company held its Collective Collaborative 2024 at the Center Stage Theater in Paseo Nuevo. This show celebrated different styles of dance with a variety of performers, bringing people from the community together. The event began at 7 p.m. and continued until about 8:30 p.m.

As the show started, City College Dance Instructor, Tracy Kofford, introduced the crowd and gave some shoutouts to those supporting him.

As the lights dimmed, you could see dancers getting in place, ready for their first performance. A group of nine dancers was about to perform an intricate routine called “Eliminate.” The level of synchronicity among them was truly amazing. 

After every performance, there was a short break, allowing spectators to gather their thoughts and feelings.

Seeing a wide range of dances from contemporary, jazz, ballet, and modern was a great experience. The facial expressions and the flexibility of the dancers were admirable.

It felt like every dance was trying to tell a different story, and I was trying to understand it.

Besides the performances, the lighting, music, and costumes were also great. Everything matched really well with what the dancers were performing on the stage. It helped set the mood and tell a story.

The location was also well picked. The small venue provided an intimate atmosphere, allowing the crowd to indulge in the performances. The crowd seemed to be really supportive and could barely hold themselves together. As soon as the performance was over, the crowd started an appreciative applause while they were almost holding their breath during the performances.

During a 15-minute break after the first half of the show was done, you could hear multiple people saying they were motivated to start dancing themselves now.

It was a really good experience, and even I was inspired to start dancing. But I do have to say there are a few things that I didn’t care for much.

A dance called “It’s giving Dad jokes… but I ain’t got no kids” wasn’t really my cup of tea. It definitely was a different form of art. I felt like the performance was more of a comedy act than a dance. In my opinion, the jokes also weren’t really my humor, so that wasn’t really my favorite to watch.

I also feel like this and a few other performances were a little too long, making it hard for the crowd to stay engaged.

At the end and before the break, I would’ve liked a quick announcement to tell the crowd it was the end or a break because a lot of spectators seemed to be confused. I also feel like that would’ve rounded everything up a little better.

Overall, I have to say it was a great experience, and I would definitely watch it again, although the price of 25$ was pretty high. The ambiance and atmosphere were really good. I was fascinated by the variety of dancers, dances, and costumes. Altogether, it was a beautiful experience that showed an amazing form of art, highlighting the dancer’s talent.