Liliana Ciraulo

Art, Art, Art!

When you think of Dartmouth, the arts might not be the first thing to come to mind - however, we boast a wide variety of arts to perform and experience! Recently I've been lucky enough to engage with three distinct performances on campus: dance, a DJ set, and theatre.

I am part of Ujima Dance Troupe and performed in the annual fall term Halloween show along with Sheba Dance Troupe. We are Dartmouth's two main hip-hop style troupes, and we only come together once a year for this show! I had a really fun time both performing with Uji and watching Sheba's dancing, too. The thing I love the most about watching dance, especially hip-hop, is how we cheer, yell, and scream for the dancers — this is how dancers like to show their support, and we love it when the audience makes noise! The room was packed with spectators, some of whom were watching outside from the patio (through the window)! I have heard nothing but positive feedback on the show, and I'm glad all of our hard work has paid off.

When I'm not dancing, I like to engage with the arts as a spectator. Dartmouth is constantly bringing in musicians to perform here, and I (admittedly) do not engage with them enough! Some friends and I attended a DJ set by Halluci Nation, an indigenous duo from Canada. I am usually not one for electronic-type music, but the set was absolutely incredible. They performed in Collis Common Ground, a versatile area centrally located on campus. While most spectators were students, I saw a few families - presumably from the Upper Valley area. I always enjoy seeing local Upper Valley residents at performances, as it reminds me of the power the arts have in bringing people together!

Finally, as an ode to my theatre kid roots (I was in one show in high school), I attended the Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals' performance of King Lear! A couple of my friends were in the show, and I had never seen a Shakespeare play at Dartmouth before - I had a great time! I, like many people, struggled through reading Shakespeare in high school because I was taught to simply read the text instead of watching performances. Shakespeare is made for the stage, and the content was surprisingly easy to understand when experiencing it spoken aloud, right in front of you! Though I still did not grasp the entirety of the plot line, the show was really well done and I got to witness some amazing theatrical talent on campus.

There are so many more art experiences to explore at Dartmouth, including but not limited to: slam poetry, a capella, student bands, musical theatre, studio art, movies, wind ensemble, orchestra, glee club, drag, improv, and stand up comedy! I am excited to continue to partake in these various art forms throughout the rest of my time at Dartmouth. :-)