You know an event is going to be a riot when the announcers talk about strobe lights and having BEMCo on hand, although the crowd remained safe and enjoyed “Liquid Latex: Lights, Camera, Latex.”
“Liquid Latex” is one of those Brandeis traditions that is quirky, hilarious and extremely entertaining. It involves students being painted in latex and then dancing to interestingly choreographed routines. While the doors were supposed to open at 7:30, there was a long line of students waiting to get inside long before that.
Even before the show started, the environment in Levin Ballroom was that of excitement and curiosity. Some people there knew exactly what to expect, but others, like me, were very curious as to what the show would entail. The first performance was based on “Pirates of The Caribbean,” and the entire performance had a good amount of shock value in the beginning as newbies finally realized what the point of the show was, but as the performance progressed the fascinating choreography and the extremely confident performers revealed the art behind it all.
The greatest thing about the show is the fact that people are courageous enough to be on stage wearing nothing but latex paint.
“Being a part of ‘Liquid Latex’ was a fantastic experience. It was really incredible to see the art that could be created by the human body through movement and paint,” said Samantha Laney ’17, who was one of the dancers for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” routine.
A performance after “Pirates” was inspired by Pixar films, and the body painters did a marvelous job with portraying these beloved films in a fun manner. Hearing the soundtracks of those movies in such a different concept was an odd experience. The next act was one inspired by “Prince of Egypt.” The painters in this act did an excellent job with the intricate painting.
In such a dance- and choreography-heavy show, it was no surprise that there would be acts inspired by musicals. Both the “Grease” piece and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” piece were very well choreographed and performed.
One of my personal favourites was the “Veldt” piece, as it incorporated a novel concept and very compelling choreography, which had been lacking in some performances. The next act, which was inspired by movies that have been acclaimed at the Oscars, was done in the form of a runway with models painted as tribute the films. While the dancing was not much of a focus for this performance, the beautiful painting stole the show.
The next two were based on films. “Adurna” used elements of the horror genre, giving the chance to the painters to be creative with the paint. The finale of the show was a modernized version of “Snow White,” which was hilarious and left the entire audience wanting more.
Although the choreography was a little repetitive at some times throughout the show, the energy and confidence of the performers kept the interest of the audience going all along. There was not a dull moment during the show, as the audience kept clapping and cheering them on.
“I didn’t really know what to expect from it, but it was really entertaining. I’d definitely go again next year!” said Bryce Dreifus ’17. I will definitely be one of the people lining up to watch the show again if I am not brave enough to perform.
