Moorpark College dance faculty and dancers came together on Nov. 21 for an evening full of theatrical and storytelling performances.

“Speaking Movement” was a two hour event that takes place every fall semester in the Performing Arts Center. Students, faculty, and the occasional special guest all take turns choreographing the dances.

The show was divided into two acts with a 15-minute intermission in between. Act I began with an eye-opening video, ‘A Dancer’s Life.’ This video captured the hard work of all the students ranging from the auditions to show time. It gave a beautiful perspective for the audience to realize how much work and dedication went in to the show.

Sofia Blaset, 18, currently takes dance classes with two of the choreographers at Moorpark College.

“The show was wonderful,” said Blaset. “The work was amazing, and I can’t wait to study further with my professors.”

Following ‘A Dancer’s Life,’ there were incredible performances such as ‘Mingling,’ ‘Stepping Into You,’ and the artistic ‘First Sleep’ where a dancer seemed to be haunted by other dancers during a nightmare.

The dance number titled ‘Pounce’ ended Act I with a fun and powerful dance that correlated with the dark and ominous feel of ‘First Sleep.’

Act II was exciting and upbeat. Dances like ‘Circuit’ gave an apocalyptic feel as it weaved in and out of a teaser of Beyoncé’s song ‘Jealous.’ Later, they went on to perform ‘Battle Cry,’ which was a representation of the choreographer Wendi Baity’s dance career.

Amy Cowgill, 19, performed in dances like ‘Into Action’ and ‘Battle Cry.’

“’Battle Cry’ means a lot to Wendi Beaty and we wanted to represent the meaning of the dance,” said Cowgill.

The theatrical performance ‘Pajama Time,’ gave the perfect amount of energy to the audience by creating a fun environment. The dancers entered the stage wearing pajama’s and trying to contain their excitement for a sleepover when suddenly one of the dancers broke out lip-syncing into her hairbrush.

In between some of the songs a dancer would come out and give a quick history of the different dance styles. There were also slides before each performance that included the name of the dance and a quote.

The night closed with a funky and uplifting ‘All His Jazz.’ The evening of dance was a success for the many dancers and faculty involved. The night was a great interpretation of the power of telling a story through movement.