Spectrum Dance Theater performed three pieces from their repertoire in Cordiner Hall on Tuesday, April 24: “crowded murmurs…thoughts,” “Quartet,” and “Bhangra Fever.” Senior Charlotte Pickett, a student involved in the dance program at Whitman, felt that bringing the group benefited the Walla Walla community as well as Whitman.

“Other than student shows there is no dance in Walla Walla,” said Pickett, “It is important for both the Whitman community as well as the Walla Walla community to have exposure to many different forms of art.”

Senior dancer Kira Hubbard agreed. “It was really interesting to sit in the audience and hear the other audience members watch it. It was obvious that a lot of people at Whitman had never been exposed to that level of professional dance…they were amazed by that. [It] was really amazing to hear [their reactions].”

Hubbard pointed to Spectrum’s innovative style, which integrates elements of ballet, jazz, and modern, to explain the positive response: “The type of work that Spectrum does is possibly a lot more accessible to non-dance audience.”
The Spectrum performers included a Walla Walla native, Peter deGrasse. DeGrasse is a former student of Idalee Hutson-Fish, who teaches ballet at Whitman and in her private studio in Walla Walla.