Get a mix of pop, love and democracy, all in the form of dance. 

“Be with it, see it and let it affect you in some way,” said Kenneth Balint, the artistic director of the Fresno State Contemporary Dance Ensemble, which  opened “Connections: 2023” on Feb. 17 at the John Wright Theatre. The concert has two performances remaining (7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25).

At a recent run-through, the dance ensemble combined choreography, costume design, lighting and projection to tell six different stories. Balint’s vision was brought to life by choreographers Bernard Brown, Zachary Garcia and Robert Moses. 

The dancers opened with “Intravenous 80s,” taking the audience back in time to the 1980s. Hits such as Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” and Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” blasted through the theatre. Members of the audience bobbed their heads and smiled as they listened to pop classics. 

The costumes, designed by Kristine Doiel, included famous faces from this era such as Freddy Mercury, Madonna and Salt-N-Pepa. 

The second piece was called “Connections: Dismal or Insight” and shared an intimate message about people’s inability to connect with others, Balint said. It offered a parallel on how human beings have been conditioned to live their lives. 

“Some try to get along. Some aren’t interested in getting along. I guess … it’s like our world,” Balint said. 

Each dancer wore a different language on their costume, which was symbolic of people’s inability to communicate or be heard. 

The dancers tried to communicate with one another onstage through their dancing. Eye contact was never made to show that connection is slipping away from society. 

“Episteme 1-2-3” was a restaging of a love story done years ago at Fresno State. The poetic love story was another portrayal of “the human equation” in the form of dance, Balint told The Collegian. The choreography captured the vision of two souls that belong to each other, supporting each other’s weight through life, but the ending is when they must say goodbye. 

“It’s a fun piece that’s very upsetting because people don’t like to think about the ending of relationships, and even when you’re at the end, you think about the beginning,” Balint said. 

Kara Nist, a lighting designer, was drawn to this piece the most as she watched with the audience. 

“I just felt like I could watch the love story over and over again,” she said. 

“Unquenched Drowning” was a story choreographed by Brown. It was about the inhumanity of basic resources, such as water, not being accessible to everyone around the world. 

“My thirst is unquenched. Water is my birthright,” said the dancers during the performance.

Sofia James, a costume shop assistant for the show, said this piece is “strong and thought-provoking.”  

Balint said the performers have been hard at work since August 2022 and overcame setbacks during flu season. Months of preparation led up to February’s performance, where their hearts were left on the stage. 

Abigail Salyer and Ashley Wafer, dancers who performed in the ensemble, told The Collegian what dancing means to them. 

Salyer’s relationship with dance helped her decompress and express her emotions. 

“Anytime I was sad, I felt when I went to class I could let everything out through my dancing,” she said. 

Salyer said dancing taught her how to have a strong work ethic.

Wafer said that dance has been an outlet where her authenticity can shine.

“When you’re dancing, you can feel free. You don’t have to have the perfect technique or perfect anything,” she said. 

Next up for the Department of Theatre and Dance, University Theatre will present two shows at the Dennis and Cheryl Woods Theatre. “Men on Boats” will run March 24 through April 1. “Androcles and the Lion” runs April 13 through 15. A student-choreographed dance concert will also be held on Apr. 27 in Lab School 101.