As one of the most anticipated traditions on the Colgate University campus, this year’s Dancefest attracted both new and seasoned attendees to 25 captivating performances. This year’s theme for the event was “under the stars,” and, on Saturday, Dec. 6, Colgate students and faculty filed into the Colgate Memorial Chapel as multi-colored lights flashed around the building, eagerly awaiting the opening of Fall 2025 Dancefest.
The show opened with introductory performances by the first-year, sophomore, junior and senior classes respectively, featuring an iconic and on-theme lineup of tunes: “Starships” by Nicki Minaj, “Stargazing” by Myles Smith, “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic and “All the Stars” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA.
The Colgate Ballroom Dancers kicked off the next segment of the show, donning polka dot skirts and ties for their groovy number of “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis. The members of the FUSE Dance Company rose to the stage next, showing off their flexibility with high kicks and leaps during their rendition of “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore. Colgate’s Dance Team followed with an explosive performance of Little Mix’s “Salute.”
First-year and Colgate Dance Team member Lia Giger had expressed her anticipation leading up to the moment when she took the stage.
“I don’t really know what to expect,” Giger said. “But I’m excited to see everyone in the audience and to perform.”
Giger was not the only one to feel this way. Giger’s fellow first-year, Kriti Dhakal, also verbalized excitement for her first time participating in Dancefest. Dhakal attributed this excitement to the environment that her dance group, Masque and Triangle, cultivated over the semester.
“I really like that [Masque and Triangle] is a group of fun people,” Dhakal said. “Even if we’re not getting a step correct, it will always be a fun experience to have our choreographer go, ‘Okay, this is the way we should be going.’ It’s never stressful.”
Masque and Triangle presented “School Song” from “Matilda the Musical” as their first performance of the night, highlighting the diversity of dance genres Colgate embraces. Dancers took advantage of these various offerings, a fact which was noticeable by the familiar faces that appeared in several different dance groups.
Senior Grace Kenney was one of those recurring faces. She is a member of both the Sipsam Dance Group and the Wolfpack. Kenney joined Sipsam during her first semester of sophomore year and Wolfpack the semester after, inspired by their performances at Dancefest that year. This year, for her last Fall Dancefest, Kenney co-choreographed the two performances she participated in, enjoying a truly full-circle moment.
Kenney discussed the challenges that arose as her dance groups prepared for the event.
“This semester, the involvement fair was pushed a week back,” Kenney said. “You wouldn’t think that one less practice would feel like a difference, but it really [did.]”
Still, both Wolfpack and Sipsam persevered, delivering skilled footwork and impassioned expressions on stage. Their fellow dance groups — Shock Dance Group, Melanated, Latin American Dance, Colgate Tap Troupe, Colgate Dance Initiative and DDT — followed suit, evoking enthusiastic applause from the crowd.
Kenney shared a message with potential attendees of future Dancefests.
“[You should always] come to support your friends,” she said. “You might see a dance group that you really might want to join after watching it. It’s just a great way to engage in the Colgate community.”
