Whether you’re the kind of person who lunges for the nearest table as soon as the beat drops, the kind of person whose wildest dance routine consists of a few timid head bobs, or anyone in between, sometimes it’s nice to just sit back and watch the professionals do all the hard work. True, the dance crew at Saturday’s show may not be professionals -yet- but how did their performance hold up for a half-hour of almost non-stop dancing?

While for many of us the words ‘dance class’ bring back painful memories of cold parquet wood floors and stumbling feet as your teacher shouted out numbers, it may be shocking to find out that this is not a universal experience. In fact, the Crea Cafe dance classes are for many UvA students (and not only) an exciting and enjoyable way to hone their skills and do what they love. Living proof of this was the “Dansje Wagen” performance at Crea Cafe on the 16th of April. 

As the music started and the lights dimmed the first of many groups of dancers took to the stage in black costumes dotted with reflective strips. For the next half hour, there was hardly a dull moment on stage as the music and costumes shifted through a wide and vivid range of colour and emotion. The one thing that did remain consistent, however, was the unwavering enthusiasm and sheer joy of movement on almost every dancer’s face. 

Though the audience was rather small, every group’s performance was punctuated by cheering, clapping, and stomping. Even the most cynical and jaded of spectators -amongst which many of us might count themselves- couldn’t help but be carried away by the energy of the evening. 

So, if you have fond memories of your own childhood dance classes that you wish you could revisit -or if you’d simply like to stare at yourself in an oversized mirror for a few hours every week and can’t seem to find a socially acceptable place to do so- then the weekly dance classes offered at Crea are the perfect chance!