Cardiff’s University’s winter showcase was an electric evening of singing, dancing, drama, and excitement. The show ran for just under three hours, broken into three parts with ten minute intervals. I found every single performance captivating, and at times I even had goosebumps. The evening demonstrated the immense amount of artistic talent amongst Cardiff’s students.
Shriya Aaytee, the president and performance coordinator of Bollywood Dance society, mention the nerves the performers feel before going on stage. The winter showcase is Cardiff’s first showcase of the year, and the first time that many of the groups would have performed together. Their performance was a culmination of 17 dancers performing to three fast paced songs. Shriya continued to say that performing should most importantly be fun, and that when she was up on stage, she felt like she was in her ‘happy place.’ From where I was sat, the entire performance certainly looked enjoyable to perform, and at times I found myself, along with the rest of the audience, unable to stop myself from clapping and moving to the music. The vibrant colours of their purple and yellow pants and their expressions of sheer delight made the entire performance visually stunning.
Another show stopping dance performance was KChoreo’s performances to Enhypen’s Drunk-Dazed and Loona’s Paint The Town. Upon speaking to Marika Nowak, the president of KChoreo, I was amazed to learn that both choreographies were learnt in just three short weeks. Marika spoke about how KChoreo provides a stress free, safe space for members to share their joy of KPop with ‘like-minded people.’ She said that the ‘strong community’ they’ve created ‘is definitely the highlight of Kchoreo.’ As someone who has never expressed an interest in KPop, I couldn’t take my eyes away. Their coordinated black and white outfits expanded on the overall swagger of their performance and helped them own the room.
During one of the intervals, I had the pleasure of speaking with someone from the Cardiff University Boob Team, who were amongst several charities present at the showcase. They raise awareness for breast cancer and regularly run fundraisers and workshops with societies at Cardiff. Their dedicated team were friendly and insightful, and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to give them the well-earned recognition they deserve.
The Cardiff University A Capella society is made up of four performance groups that all put on stellar performances, so much so that I couldn’t pick just one to talk about. The society is made up of two mixed groups, Interchorus and VOX, a female and non-binary group, The Decibelles, and a male and non-binary group, The Acapellads. Their performances included songs such as Rebel Child by Dylan and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. As a fan of Pitch Perfect I was in awe of every single performance, and one member spoke about how being part of the university A Capella society feels like being in the movie. They even mentioned that they perform in the Pitch Perfect competition the ICCA’s. All their hard work over the last three months manifested in jaw-dropping performances that left me speechless.
I found the winter showcase inspiring and mesmerising and it filled the room with astonishing and thrilling vibes. It was a night of celebration to appreciate the various cultures, interests, and talents of Cardiff’s students. Most importantly, its left me wondering which society I want to join.
Words by Jessica Fotheringham.
Featured image courtesy of Katie Storrie. No changes have been made to this image.