Ante Up, Seattle Pacific University’s dance club, hosted their fifth annual showcase, “SPU do you think you can dance?” The event was held in the lower Royal Brougham Pavilion on Saturday, April 25. All performances were choreographed and performed by current students or alumni.
There were a variety of styles in the 14 showcases acts, making this event a chance for students to showcase their dancing skills regardless of the genre. This year, various cultural clubs showcased dances of their heritages.
Evette Amurao is a fourth year studying clinical counseling psychology and has been Ante Up’s president for two years and has worked to integrate a sense of welcomeness in the club. Amurao has introduced a new motto for Ante Up that the showcase event seeks to embody.
“We try to promote our motto. It’s ‘all styles, all bodies, all valid.’ We welcome all styles no matter what skill level or what body type you have. We just try to cultivate that kind of culture… Anyone can dance, even though a lot of people claim they don’t. The community aspect of it is that we are all having fun together through dance,” Amurao said.
Ava Berghammer, a first year studying physiology and psychology, performed in a piece titled “You saved me” alongside another first year student Marlon Brando Cox Jr. Choreographed by Brando Cox to “King of Hearts” by Brandon Lake, the contemporary act told a tale of salvation through Christian faith. Berghammer expressed the novelty of having a choreographer create a dance as a form of worship.
“I have done dance for a long time, but this was my first time dancing to a piece of music about Jesus. The studios I grew up in didn’t really do that. It made the piece all the more special to me. I was able to show my faith journey through the dance,” Berghammer said.
Ante Up’s event had no form of ranking the performances. For Berghammer, who is used to competitive studio environments, this was a welcome change.
“I’ve done dance since I was really little and stopped it to come to university, so getting to dance again was so fun. I feel it definitely rekindled my love for it. I feel like it was just really fun, kind of getting away from the normal studio environment where it’s very much like you’re in competition with everyone. You could be on the same team but you’re always buying for that front-center position,” Berghammer said.
To stay up to date with Ante Up and any events they host, follow their Instagram @anteupspu.
