Bronze Arts Award Sections B
Message In A Bottle
The beginning of the dance is set in a village, with musical and colourful celebrations, until their home is under attack. We follow the three siblings and their companions, as they all separate on their own journeys to freedom and safety. We watch them all face their challenging obstacles and their life risking adventures. You see them each make sacrifices and rely on each other to survive.

I think the show was an amazing experience as the storyline was strong and meaningful, also the dancers were very skilled. I enjoyed how creatively the storyline was portrayed, without it being obvious, so we really have to think about it. For example there was a scene where one of the characters got taken and carried away by people wearing black. It wasn't clear why the people decided to take this girl, or bother them at all, but it was clear they were enemies and had control over these civilians. This moment really stood out to me because right before she was taken, the village was a very bright and positive place and she had been just newly engaged. Then the mood changed immediately and the dancing became intense and emotional.

I also enjoyed how the dancers were very diverse, and they didn't stick to one dance genre throughout the performance. The dance consisted of contemporary and hip hop. It surprised me how some of the show included some break dance tricks as well as some lyrical movement. The merge of genres went together really well creating contrast and depth to the routines. The performance showed me that during a dance show, it doesn't need to be all one style of dance, and you can mix it up when a different emotion is introduced.

I would recommend the ‘’Message In A Bottle‘’ because not only is the dancing and skill very impressive, the storyline is very emotional and you see how each character responds to their situation. As an audience member, you become invested in watching their eventful and somewhat traumatic journey. After watching this show, it inspired me to broaden my skill set and be open to learning new genres instead of sticking to one. This would make a future routine more impressive and effective and would open much more opportunities to do with auditions and shows. This performance also showed me that not all dancing has to be pretty and elegant as long as the story is being told and has an effect on the audience.