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UPDATE: This story was updated at 1:55 p.m. EST on Monday, March 2, 2026.

With Myspace inspired graphics and glitchy videos, this weekend’s DanceWorks spring showcase brought audiences back to the digital age through dances, sparkly costumes and mixes from musicians like Justin Timberlake and Kaytranada.

“We didn’t want to limit ourselves,” Syracuse University senior and co-executive director Revati Mahurkar said. “We wanted to go all out on aesthetics. This show captures the party, Y2K theme perfectly.”

This year’s showcase, DanceWorks Digital, held Friday and Saturday in Goldstein Auditorium, marked the organization’s 40th anniversary. Throughout the two-hour show, many audience members cheered and clapped to songs by artists like Charli xcx and Bad Bunny as dancers jumped into splits, lifts and poses.

Since its inception in 1986, the registered student organization DanceWorks hosts its spring showcase annually, boasting a fully student choreographed program.

This year’s digital theme was inspired by the recent return of the Y2K aesthetic. Mahurkar and her co-executive director, SU senior Ellie Cohen, sought an “iconic” theme for its 40th birthday, Mahurkar said.

“I don’t think people realize how many years 40 really is,” Mahurkar said. “Looking through our old scrapbooks and pictures of the founding members makes us realize all of the hard work that has been put in. It’s just incredible to see how much we are thriving.”

DanceWorks Digital included a range of different styles and songs. In an upbeat tap piece, dancers tapped along to Elton John’s “Bennie And The Jets.” Avery Magee | Photo Editor

Focusing on its social media and web presence, DanceWorks photo shoots included flip phones, velour tracksuits and wired headphones. Before each dance, glitchy projections reaffirmed the cyber aesthetic and gave backstories to each of the pieces. The video game Just Dance and techno music were also on the moodboard for the hip-hop and jazz pieces, Mahurkar said.

Dances varied in styles, from slower, contemporary numbers like The Lumineers’ “Stubborn Love” to an upbeat tap piece to Elton John’s “Bennie And The Jets.” Choreographers have the creative freedom to choose the tone of their dance, Mahurkar said.

The show opened with a jazz fusion piece titled “track01_vol40,” choreographed by SU seniors and choreography chairs Stevie Michaels and Sam Shapiro. Mixing Kesha, Britney Spears and Missy Elliott, the dance set the digital, “party girl” theme, Cohen said.

Many more high energy mashups carried through the night, like “Justin Timberlake”, a mashup of several Timberlake songs, and “What You Waiting For?” a Gwen Stefani jazz piece choreographed by SU junior and DanceWorks co-producer, Filip Piechowiak, with his best friend Marina DePalo.

Choreographed by Syracuse University senior, Sam Shapiro, “Dog Days Are Over” was one of the many contemporary pieces in DanceWorks Digital. This year’s show marks the organization’s 40th anniversary. Avery Magee | Photo Editor

Growing up, Piechowiak danced competitively for almost 16 years at his dance studio at home in Massachusetts. DanceWorks became a space for him to create and express himself in college, Piechowiak said. This year, he wanted to bring the high energy fun to the show with his own personal flair.

“No one wants to dance anymore,” Piechowiak said. “Where’s the joy? Where’s the whimsy? I want everyone to hear the music and feel it in their bodies.”

Playing on that joy and whimsy, Talia Panagiotopoulos’s “The Pinkprint” hip-hop piece included a gloving section with light-up gloves. The show closed with the piece “System Override,” again choreographed byMichaels and Shapiro. The jazz fusion dance highlighted members of DanceWorks’ board.

“Dancing for pure joy is the goal of DanceWorks,” Cohen said.

Mahurkar helped introduce a mentor-mentee program into DanceWorks last year. Previously, new DanceWorks members did not have opportunities to meet older members and connect with them on a level deeper than colleagues. The new system brought the company closer together, Mahurkar said.

DanceWorks’ long history at SU is a motivator to keep improving the organization, Mahurkar said. Since her and Cohen’s time at DanceWorks, they have added events like “DanceWorks with the Stars” and family brunches to foster community, Mahurkar said.

Cohen, Piechowiak and Mahurkar all attribute their personal growth and maturation to DanceWorks. All three sought a way to continue their dance careers on campus, with about 60 years of dance experience combined among them.

This year’s DanceWorks Digital spring showcase brought audiences back to the digital age’s emergence. Dancers donned sparkly costumes and danced to music by artists ranging from Justin Timberlake to Kaytranada. Avery Magee | Photo Editor

“I was so shy freshman year,” Cohen said. “And then I applied to the DanceWorks executive board. Being put in a leadership position meant I had to build that community and be more social.”

Piechowiak auditioned for DanceWorks his freshman year after an SU alum from his home dance studio encouraged him. While being in DanceWorks, Piechowiak said he was able to step out of his comfort zone and meet his best friend.

This year’s show has been in the works since April 2025. Since then, the executive board has planned photoshoots, rehearsals and conducted auditions to produce the spring showcase. The dancers have been practicing weekly since September. The DanceWorks executive board includes roles beyond technical skills, such as costumes or cast relations.

“It takes a lot to put on a show on this scale,” Mahurkar said. “We’ve all worked so hard together, focusing on the smallest details to make the show what it is.”

The creative concepts and production of the show are a team effort from the board, Cohen said. While working on a team with conflicting visions can be difficult, the group shares a special bond.

“We all are on the same page,” Cohen said. “We call it a Bluetooth connection because we all know what each other is thinking all the time.”

As for Danceworks Digital, Mahurkar said she hoped the audience appreciates their dancers. Coming from all different backgrounds and experiences, it was nice to see them collaborate creatively together for the show, Mahurkar said.

Piechowiak believes that DanceWorks becomes more impressive and welcoming as the years go on, he said.

“Dance a lot of times can be intimidating,” Piechowiak said. “That’s not what this show, or DanceWorks is. Here, we can have fun, let loose and just dance.”

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the gloving section was in Michaels and Shapiro’s “System Override.” The light-up gloves were included in Talia Panagiotopoulos’s hip-hop piece “The Pinkprint.” The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on March 1, 2026 at 11:43 pm