Mallory's Story: Dance Company

Mallory Hughes
Full Circle

Full Circle, Utah States contemporary dance company, performed “One”, to a nearly full house at Ellen Eccles Theatre Tuesday evening.

Full Circle began in the fall of 2007 and is affiliated with the University but members receive no credit for the class nor does the company receive any funding.

Each member of the company is a full time student at USU and dedicates at least 15 hours per week, “there’s no class, no credit, each person gives up their own free time,” Krissy Smith, founder of the dance company, stated.

The performance Tuesday night was compiled of dance routines choreographed by Smith and other members of the dance team.

Sitting in the audience was Annie Jensen, a former dancer in the company, who stated, “I really miss it, being able to dance with all of these talented girls.”

Other attendees of the performance included friends of the dancers, Utah State students and proud parents.

A mother of one of the dancers stood up at intermission to yell across the theatre to a friend of her daughter’s, “She called me at noon to bring her that light saber!” She said of her daughter’s silly prop in one of the dances.

The performances did not seem to follow a story or a theme, but rather a collection of stories and moods interpreted in each dance.

The contemporary dance genre is unlike many styles of dance that follow strict uniform, such as ballet or jazz, each girl is able to show her own personality with each movement in their routines.

The dance “Class of 2008” depicted high school clichés “but what happens when those stereotypes are stripped away and their worlds collide” Smith posed as the question at the beginning of the dance.

The dances ranged from silly high school depictions to performances such as “Letting Go” in which the girls danced with blue scarves representing “the things that hold us back.”

Other performances included “Imagine” with music of John Lennon’s with the same titled to gesture towards “a world full of happiness and hope of a better tomorrow.”

Special guest performances were given by Inishfre Irish Dance Company performing the native style dances titled “Road to Lisdoonvarna” and “Turnpike”, both dances had the audience involved and clapping.

Friends and family attended to support the company who raises all of their funds to keep Full Circle in motion.

Smith thanked the supporters and the dancers for all of the hard work put into the show, “I am so proud of these dancers,” she said through held back tears.