Auroris Dance Company’s  Evolution was a dance  sensation that surprised much of its audience over the Jan. 26-28 weekend performances. No ninjas ran around pumping up the crowd during the intermission like last year; however, Evolution kept everybody on the edge of their seats throughout the show.

The first act started out slow but began to accelerate after the troupe’s “Fascinations” routine, which I watched in awe. My favorite routine by far from the first act was definitely The “Tragic” series at the end that was comprised of three shorter dance pieces, each with only one or two dancers.  “At Chord’s Length” especially moved everybody around me and “Skin Deep” spooked me with its use of shadow.

But I had seen nothing yet because Auroris completely transformed their performance during the second act. Whether it was” Stages of You,” choreographed by Queen of HipHop at Niles North, Annie Kim, a senior, or “Americano,” choreographed by Connie Fagan, a guest choreographer, Act Two was an exciting demonstration of the theme of evolution and the progression of dances throughout the evening. The addition of Kim’s violin solo  in “Stages of You” was a nice touch.

“Americano” was one of Auroris junior captain Samantha Schneider’s favorite routines “because it is really fun and high energy. This dance really allows us as a dancer to put everything out on stage,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Bollywood piece that the company performed was nothing like the traditional style of dance I had expected ; instead, it was full of modernization and hip-hop. Senior captain Stacy Joseph beautifully choreographed her team’s performance in this dance and bridged the gap between traditional and contemporary styles of dance.

The “We Got the Moves” routine, in which each female dancer chose a boy as their partner to include in the piece, provided the audience with entertaining comic relief.

Social studies teacher Pankaj Sharma said, “this was the best Auroris show I have seen in all my years at North.”

Schneider added that, “It definitely felt best on stage to perform this year. Last year, I didn’t feel as good about it.”

Unfortunately, this performance had to end. But Auroris finished it on a high note that left the audience eagerly awaiting their next performance. Throughout their performances the Auroris dancers clearly demonstrated their vision, grace and hard work. The Auroris Dance Company that I first saw three years ago has evolved significantly and kept me asking for more.

However, most of their success is owed to their director, Deanna Sortino, who has been directing the company for three years now. Schneider said, “Before Sortino, Auroris had new directors every year. Sortino came with a lot of experience and she brought all of the amazing choreographers. She always makes things better and more professional.”

The only sad part is that next year once all the seniors graduate, Auroris will need more members. Everybody is welcome to audition for next year. Auroris will “recruit a lot of people for next year, have more classes and techniques with professional choreographers,” Schneider said. Try-outs will be held on May 14th until May 16th in the Dance Studio from 3:45p.m. until 6:00p.m.

“To be a part of Auroris is such an amazing experience because you get to do what you love most, ” junior Maddy Newman said. “And all of your hard work pays off when you get a good reaction from the crowd. That’s when you feel amazing and talented.”

Reflecting on her two-year experience in Auroris, senior Anna Do said “The company keeps me up. It is just full of energy and love; these people are my second family… If you don’t try out to be a part of Auroris, you will miss out.”

Schneider hopes that next year’s performance will be just as good, if not better, than this year’s. “We have the potential to be just as good. Now that we have set the bar so high, we can’t lower it.”