By Tatsuya Hidano, junior

The ballerinas from head to toe made the audience see music more than hear it as the Friends University Fine Arts department hosted one of its highlight events of the year, the Spring Ballet, on March 5-7.

This year's 17-member production opened with Chopin's “Memories in Melody,” which showcased the ballerinas' colorful, upbeat choreography in waltz, many times in unison.

The audience could not wait to applaud as the tempo on the waltz and the spins on the stage accelerated.

The roar of the audience died out slowly after the first rendition. As the next piece by Glass, “Glass Pieces,” began, a silhouette of a body dimmed in the dark. It turned excitement into intensity. Not only did everything become slow-paced and quiet but even more powerful and emotional.

One by one silhouettes started to join. As spotlights shifted gradually from a dancer to another, movements overlapped and separated to the effect it looked like many on stage when there were only four. Then, as the music intensified, more silhouettes appeared, overlapped and then disappeared. The audience sat quietly in awe. It was a while later the audience finally applauded.

The second set kicked off with a Broadway-like, playful tune from Richard Rodgers' “With a Song.”

It was more acrobatic than the first set. The ballerinas ran, jumped and spun across the stage. The audience now relaxed and applauded freely in praise of the many lifts and a Broadway-type chorus line.

As the blasting swing music accompanied the show's dramatic ending, the sequence of the movements became more cheerful than ever before.

The ballerinas, a little out of breath and shining from sweat drops, bowed many times to the standing ovation.

“We put our all into it,” said Kyle Leapline, sophomore majoring in ballet. “It's a lot (of work), but it's worth it,”

It was Sara Carter's third ballet performance that she attended.

“I like the whole second half,” said Carter, freshman. “I really liked how they integrated ballet and a Broadway theme.”

Friends ballet director Stan Rogers said he always tries to program something diverse, so that there is something for everyone. This weekend the audience was responsive and enthusiastic, and the dancers were on, he said. “It went really well.”

“I'm very happy with it,” said Rogers. “I'm ready for spring break.”