By Gwen Baker, Contributing Writer
Bust-A-Move Beavers (BAM), a student-led dance group, after a lot of hard work this semester, recently held one of their biannual showcases.
The lights dimmed low as dancers dressed in black and yellow with their hair tied neatly in a ponytail waited eagerly in sitting positions, backs turned away from the audience. The crowd held their breath as the song Black and Gold by Sam Sparro started, cueing the dancers to begin.
Performers dancing to Black and Gold, Choreographed by Rachael Chavarie. (Photo Courtesy of Gwen Baker)
Rachael Chavarie, a junior Elementary Education major and Vice-President of the club, choreographed this routine. Chavarie chose Black and Gold because it sounded like something she had never heard before. “I discovered the song in my favorite movie, Fame, and I just really love it.”
Zyanya Holman, a junior majoring in Community Health, has been attending BAM recitals every semester since her freshman year to support her friends, including Chavarie. Holman loved everything about Chavarie’s performance in Black and Gold. “It was very sassy, very spicy,” said Holman. “It felt like you wanted to get out of your seat and join them.”
One of the performers in Chavarie’s routine was the current club President Meagan Ring, a senior double majoring in Math and Actuarial Science. Ring choreographed the routine for She Used to Be Mine, by Sara Bareilles.
“One of my favorite [routines] to perform was She Used to Be Mine because it is really meaningful and hits home for a lot of people,” explained Ring. “I wanted to use it to bring some awareness to domestic violence.”
Another popular performance was “Inner Demons” by Julia Brennan, a duet choreographed by Autumn Hopkins and Meagan Ring. “I loved, loved, loved “Inner Demons”, it was very graceful, very powerful,” said Holman. “It sends a message of strength and overpassing obstacles.”
Ring describes the dynamic of BAM as a close group of people who share the same passions with one another. “We call each other a Bamily; we’re a family. A little spin on family,” said Ring with a fond smile.
“BAM is awesome, it’s so much fun, we are a great group of people,” laughs Chavarie. “[However], we can get silly sometimes.”
If you are interested in joining BAM, search for “UMF Bust-A-Move Beavers” on Facebook.