As the term draws to an end, many of the campus performing groups are putting on one last show before the long six weeks of break.
On Friday night, Cujokra and the Harriers introduced Cooler Ranch, a new troupe made up of the members of an improv class that Annelise Lawson and Tom Weishan had been teaching all term. They played extremely well to the responsive audience, who gave them suggestions that included "blonde peanuts" (are they really tastier than brunette peanuts or "indie green" peanuts?) and "Jameson" (referring to Jameson Siegert '11), which led to Graham Schneider '12 using his uncanny Jameson resemblence to its full potential. (Just look at the hair!) They provided a great opening act for Cujokra itself, which improvised sketches on topics like endless hula-hoop contests, unnaturally smart kittens, and rodent exterminator romance.
Then, on Saturday, the Knightingales and WHOA! Hip-Hop Dance Co. put on a joint end-of-term concert. The Knightingales showed up in costume, each portraying a different decade - the 1930s, represented by a dress made of a potato sack, was a standout. They performed a wide variety of music, from Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" to a suitably stalkerish rendition of Tegan and Sara's "Living Room". MIA's "Paper Planes" had several audience members jumping out of their seats and dancing at the end. WHOA! followed it up with a tightly choreographed medley of dances, ranging from slow songs like "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown to fast ones like Janet Jackson's "Feedback", and from solos and duets to group dances in unison. The performance finished dramatically, with all the dancers sinking to the stage in contorted positions.
There are still more end-of-term performances coming up in the next week - the Knights and Exit 69 concert and the African dance class recital, for example - so stay tuned!