Breaking Ground brings the fire in this year’s Hot and Cold showcase

For a show that sells out within minutes of the ticket link going live, Breaking Ground never fails to deliver. This year, the dance showcase, hosted by Common Origins (CO), featured 16 unique groups hailing from swing to salsa. 

Though the show’s theme was Hot and Cold (the first act being Hot and the second Cold), the audience’s reception of performances was anything but frigid; after each group finished their set, they’d walk offstage to thunderous applause and energetic cheers from the crowd. The show was emceed by two CO alums, Caro De Sa ’24 and Anna Mistele ’24, who made many funny quips about the theme and their differences in time in the group, as Caro had been a choreographer while Anna joined for only a quarter. 

Legacy, Stanford’s only competition hip-hop dance team, kicked off the show with an energetic performance, setting the scene for all the wonderful acts to come. Their dancers moved their bodies in sync, accentuated by their simple white monochrome costumes. The group pulled out colored ribbons throughout the number to signify shifts in numbers, making the changes in music and choreography feel less abrupt.

Traction Modern Dance Company was next to perform, and like Legacy, they opted for simple costumes, choosing a warm orange tank top to go with black pants. The flowiness of their clothing accentuated the fluidity of their movements, and as someone less acquainted with modern dance, I was drawn to the way that it incorporated elements of ballet and contemporary in a new setting.

Jennifer Levine ‘28, a member of Traction and the only frosh in the group, spoke about the dynamic between members in this small, close-knit community. The group is focused on modern dance, but there is inspiration drawn from ballet and several other styles of dance. Levine has been dancing since she was five, so dance has always been a big part of her life. Coming into college, she was looking for a space that “upheld these ideas of community, creativity and a nonverbal way to reach people.” 

Los Salseros were sure to turn up the heat as their representing duo commanded the stage in a beautiful display of technical ability and passion for the art. It was also one of the members’ last quarters performing with the group, and their passion was evident in each step. 

Mua Lac Hong and Stanford Chang Le Dance both delighted the audience with their colorful fans, but their performances themselves were far from similar. MLH members opened and closed their fans to the beat of energetic Vietnamese pop songs, using the props to accentuate eye-catching formations, including forming a heart for the end of their set.

Meanwhile, Stanford Chang Le Dance, specializing in classical and folk Chinese dance, created ripples with theirs to add another touch of elegance to their choreography. The ensemble fell away to the floor and gracefully fluttered their fans, highlighting a dancer who completed multiple pirouettes with ease. 

Bhangra brought the energy levels up with their energetic set and colorful attire complete with the Stanford “S” on the back. Their choreography was packed full of energy with high jumps to the beat and lots of movement across the stage, and their energy while performing was truly remarkable.

During intermission dancers from different groups invited audience members on stage to dance free-style with them — a classic Stanford dance showcase tradition. Their energy was electric as members on the sidelines cheered on dancers in the center stage and hyped them up, and friends gently pulled each other to share the stage.

Meanwhile, Swingtime delighted audiences with their synchronized movements, spins and lifts to the song “Rocket 95” by Alien Fashion Show. I was amazed by their technical precision and the joy that was on their faces. Even when there were minor slip ups (like the bowler hats that went flying mid flips), the performers continued on in a true display of showmanship.

Hip-hop group DV8 brought the energy with impeccable costumes and fast-paced, sharp choreography that stunned audiences as performers transitioned incredibly well on and off stage in a variety of ways. The MCs announcing their name was met with an uproar from the crowd in anticipation of their set, and they did not fail to deliver.

Brianna Freeman ‘25, a member of DV8, touched on how DV8 has been a constant throughout her time here, as she joined during her frosh fall. She emphasized how the group is a space of feminine empowerment and an outlet from the stresses of school to just have fun and dance. On DV8’s culture, she said that the focus is on creating an amazing experience for the audience but “we work hard but never let stress infiltrate the culture during practice.”

All in all, “we’re just there to have fun,” she said.

Indian classical dance group Noopur and Pilipinx Cultural Arts group Kayumanggi both excelled at using subtle percussion to accentuate their dancing, Kayu with the bamboo poles they used to keep time with the song and move expertly between the performers’ feet and Noopur with the bell-covered bangles around their ankles.

Common Origins closed the first act with an electric set full of energy as their all-member opener to their set was full of fire. From creating the show’s first-ever promotional video to coming up with the theme, their passion for making this show come to life was evident. Their second act, while filled with less upbeat songs in accordance with the “cold” theme, delivered well-rehearsed choreography accompanied with emotion and powerful stage presence, though certainly, no coldness towards the audience detected.

All in all, the show was not only a display of technical ability but also of the dance community, whether that was the dancers performing onstage or their friends watching in the audience, cheering their name as they came onstage or performed a particularly technical move. Breaking Ground remains one of my favorite showcases for this very reason — the audience and performers are so closely interlinked and share such passion with each other it’s admirable.

Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.

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