Dancers are left with bittersweet memories after their captivating performance this past weekend at the Moorpark College Music and Dance departments’ “Motion Flux.”

“I don’t think you need to be a dancer to dance,” said Rachel Desimone, dance major. “It’s all about getting out of your comfort zone and out of your element and just celebrating. When you’re on stage it’s just all about you, the music, and your dancing.”

The Performing Arts Center is a place of creative expression, where performers of all types come together to create and perform exquisite pieces of art, and the dances at “Motion Flux” were no exception.

There were eleven dances, the majority of which were choreographed by students, but also included two choreographed by Robert Salas, assistant chair of music and dance. The pieces included:

• MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) choreographed by Kaitlyn Desautels
• One Day We’ll Find Ourselves: A Legend in Stone choreographed by Ryan I Parker
• Coexist Coefficient choreographed by Natalie McIntyre
• Leech choreographed by Melody Forsell
• Don’t Know Where I’m Going But I Love The Journey choreographed by Robert Salas
• Fragments choreographed by Vivian Goldes
• Trance choreographed by Sergio Barrientos
• Contact choreographed by Sage Schneiderbaur
• Ascend to Never Reborn choreographed by Wendi Caterina Baity-Cannon
• Anxious Minds and Revelations choreographed by Wendy Alarcon
• Lateral Pathways: Follow the Troubadour choreographed by Robert Salas

This performance was filled with passionate artists telling stories and captivating the audience through dance.

Tennesee Krist, 18-year-old dance major, said her favorite part about the show is that “Motion Flux” is put together and produced by incredibly talented students. Seeing dancers of all different levels come together and build each other up to put on such a breathtaking show is always refreshing in Krist’s eyes.

“Every dancer is at a different level, but seeing everybody collectively come together and perform the same dance and do the sames things, that is what I loved most about these shows and performances,” said Krist.

All the dancers were hard at work the week before the performance in order to perfect their moves.

“We practice non-stop from Monday through Sunday,” said Krist. “It can be stressful because as each day goes by, you are more and more tired, but you still have to keep up the energy and put on the show as if you’re not completely exhausted.”

Desimone’s passion for dance is what kept her focused the week before the performance regardless of every other part of her life still going on.

“It’s hard because if the shows goes by so fast, everything else in your life kind of stands still because it is all about the performance,” said Desimone. “For a whole week, it’s all you can think about and all of a sudden it’s like, ‘wait it’s over.'”

With no doubt, the dedication that these dancers put in was well worth it due to the adoration from friends and family members in the crowd screaming their names.

All the performers agreed that this experience has brought them together like nothing else could; leaving them with beautiful bittersweet memories.

“It’s a happy and sad feeling knowing you won’t get to dance with these people or perform the same dances again,” said Desimone.

“We created this little family,” said Krist. “All of them are like my family and I am going to miss them so much. Especially because since a lot of the dancers are moving on and transferring after this semester.”