Hawkettes dance for a cause in 5th annual benefit show
Dance is a concept that unifies people, in the sense of shared emotions and excitement to portray those feelings through movement.
The Hawkettes Dance Team held its 5th annual benefit show on Saturday, Nov. 3. The lineup consisted of 11 dances, performed by the Dance Team, Dance Club, Ballroom Dance Club and other special guests.
Each year, the team chooses an organization to donate funds from the show to, and the selection for this year was New Urban Arts, a community arts studio for high school students and emerging artists in Providence. As the benefit show came to a close, Dance Team officers announced that the proceeds raised from ticket sales totaled $632.
“We chose to work with New Urban Arts this year because it’s a local charity that is highly involved in the arts. We wanted to make sure that the money we raised could help to aid a local group in something that we felt passionately about,” senior Dance Team President Leeza Regulbuto commented regarding the selection process. “New Urban Arts has been a kind and welcoming community that we were thrilled to work with and we are ecstatic about the money that was raised for them.”
The show kicked off with a jazz routine performed by RWU’s Hawkettes Travel Team. This piece was choreographed by senior dance major Sam Verity, and it is the dance that the team will perform at Nationals in Disney this coming January. The dance featured the Epic Trailer Version of the song “I Ran,” remixed by Hidden Citizens, and team members were happy that they got to perform this piece for the first time in front of an audience.
“I am so excited to go to Nationals in Disney, and it was awesome to be able to give my family and friends a sneak peek of the dance we will be performing there,” sophomore Natalia Villareal, Co-PR and Fundraising Chair said.
Other RWU dance groups helped to make the show a success. The Dance Club performed a hip hop routine to a medley of songs by The Backstreet Boys. Ballroom Dance Club members performed an upbeat routine to Rihanna’s “Shut Up and Drive.”
Dance teams from other schools were in attendance, including Southern Connecticut State University’s Dance Team and Bryant University’s Velocity Dance Team. Both schools’ teams gave two performances. SCSU’s team displayed two hip hop routines, the second notably to a medley of songs by rapper Cardi B. Bryant’s dance team also performed twice, the first routine featuring Adele’s “Rumor Has It,” and the second to Liam Payne’s “Strip That Down.”
“We appreciate all the support we got from family and friends and the teams that traveled to perform in our show, as well as RWU’s Dance Club and Ballroom Dance Club,” senior Alyssa Parrella, Vice President of Dance Team said.
Seniors on the dance team performed a routine to “Stole The Show” by Kygo feat. Parson James. There were five students performing, all wearing RWU shirts to signify what will soon be the end of their chapter here. The lyrics also played to the emotions of a final performance with the group, as the line “Oh, it’s our time to go, but at least we stole the show,” was repeated.
Senior Caitlin Kelley said, “I’m sad to say that this was my last show, but I am so proud to be a member of this amazing team who makes a difference for the communities around us.”
Aside from the guest performances, the Hawkettes Dance Team performed 3 other dances during the show. Some of these included a contemporary routine entitled “Come Back Home,” and a jazz routine entitled “Touch,” performed by the team officers. Team members also performed their pom routine, to a mix of the songs “Level Up” by Ciara, and “Dive in the Pool” by Barry Harris.
Dance Team officers were excited to announce that so much money had been raised for New Urban Arts, and happy with the work that the entire team and everyone involved with the show had put in up to that day.
“I, along with all the officers, are extremely proud of our team for making our 5th Annual Benefit Show as successful as it was,” Parrella said.
