On Saturday, April 22, upwards of 1,500 students flocked to the Bright-Landry Hockey Center for the fashion-dance performance-rave of the year: Eleganza. Upon entering, VIP ticket holders were welcomed with Red Bull—an energizer which spectators would certainly not need after experiencing the vitalizing performance.
Energy united and defined the entire performance. Performers danced, strutted, vogued, and grinded non-stop for two and a half hours. The theme of this year’s performance was “Rebirth,” and the sizzling, searing, energy of flame was ever present. Executive Producer of Fashion and Publicity Amy Ojeaburu ’25 described the Rebirth theme as “being able to take all the fires that are popping up everywhere and channel that into something that’s really generative…using it for something really beautiful and meaningful for a lot of people.”
Eleganza certainly does so, bringing together the Harvard community in ways unmatched by other productions. Eleganza’s Finance Director, Maia Posternack ’26, said, “When I mention I’m a part of Eleganza, people’s faces light up. It’s so special to be part of something like this.”
While our community’s love for Eleganza might run deep, the commotion surrounding the event runs even deeper. “I’ve been hearing about Eleganza for my entire first year,” attendee Nuriel Vera-DeGraff ’26 said. “People on campus kept saying it was one of the best experiences at Harvard. But I honestly didn’t get the hype until I stepped into the arena.”
In fact, most first-time attendees had no idea what to expect when they purchased their Eleganza tickets—Eleganza is much more than models and dancers on a catwalk. Of course, fashion is a defining element of the show. Eleganza collaborated with brands such as Kiana, Free People, Polly Lava, Youthforia, and more. There were several show-stopping looks: two models strutting down the runway, one’s torso covered by a polyester blue tube top, the other with a matching fanny pack; another model in a stunning green tulle dress styled over denim jeans.
Eleganza’s “runway,” however, was not filled with vacant-eyed models mindlessly putting clothes on display—the performers wear the clothes, the clothes did not wear the model. At times, the clothes could not help but be overshadowed by the electric energy and attitude of their performers. No matter how neon, glittery, oversized, or dramatic a piece was, it couldn’t compete with the pirouettes, splits, and fierce stares of the performer.
And, in line with previous performances, this year’s Eleganza was oozing with sexual undertones. For those who had never attended an Eleganza show, the sultry aspect of the show came as a surprise.“The show was more strip-teasy than I thought it would be,” said first-year spectator Izzy Wilson. The sexy dimension of the show was not always compatible with the fashion aims of the show, as the frequent erotically-charged scenes often were defined by the lack of clothing. However, Eleganza effectively balanced the sultrier dance scenes with pieces focused on the beauty and aesthetic of the clothing and performer.
The sexy energy of the show was not only fun for the spectators but was also formative for the performers. Dancer Dariana Almonte ’26 said, “Being able to be someone who is sexual, promiscuous, and sensual on stage was just so liberating. When I’ve walked around campus after the show, I walk with a different air. I’m less worried about how people perceive me now. If I can wear a thong and a bra on stage and feel good about that, nobody can tell me anything.” To Almonte, Eleganza is “art through motion that people can digest and engage with in a new way.”
To facilitate engagement with the show through multiple lenses, Eleganza was broken into three scenes, each centered around a different theme. The first scene, “E Pluribus Unum,” critiqued America’s motto. The second scene, “Ill Intent,” focused on street dance, and the third scene, “The Icon,” paid homage to Black women, queer, and trans people, and their contributions to pop culture.
The latter two scenes accomplished their missions in their entirety. “Ill Intent” was filled with memorable Michael Jackson impressions, a Pop Smoke-fueled dance circle, and an epic, voguing-filled performance to Cookiee Kawaii and Dear Silas’ “Violin.” “The Icon” featured countless body types and gender identities and was not short of bouts of impassioned twerking. Almonte, who was a performer in this scene, said that although every single performer was ecstatic to be on stage, “None of us were smiling. We kept straight faces because we were bad bitches and confident. ‘The Icon’ really came out in our facial expressions because we were owning our moment. We were unapologetically taking up space. We were doing it, and everyone had to deal with it. That was our iconic attitude.”
The first scene, “E Pluribus Unum,” however, failed to demonstrate its theme to the extent of its later counterparts. The scene was intended to reclaim America’s contradictory motto through fostering a sense of collectivism and uplifting marginalized communities. Translated from Latin to “Out of many, one,” the scene’s critique of this motto was not obvious upon first viewing and could have been made more explicit for an increased impact on viewers. While the other scenes very much connected back to their central themes, the relation between the fashion and the dances to a criticism of America felt ambiguous.
Yet the few aspects of the show’s incohesion were likely unavoidable due to its high levels of diversity. Eleganza was founded in 1994 by members of The Harvard Black Community and Student Theater Group to showcase Harvard’s diverse talent—according to Ojeaburu and co-producers Alana Young ’24 and Ashley Zhuang ’23 in their producers’ letter, Eleganza’s core tenants are diversity, inclusion, and the radical questioning of social conventions. Eleganza’s mission truly shined this year in its highlighting of queer performers: the co-producers hoped to challenge gender convention with their show, ensuring that cisheteronormativity is not perpetuated through Eleganza.
Eleganza was diverse across racial, national, ethnic, gender, and sexuality boundaries, but perhaps even more incredible was the range of the performances themselves. The show seamlessly transitioned from ballet moves in cottage-core dresses to a powerful, Afrofuturistic dance, to featured student-groups.
The Harvard Black Men’s Forum (BMF) wowed the audience with a step performance, a percussive dance with important ties to historically African-American fraternities and sororities. The energy of the crowd was electric during the performance, but nothing compared to the absolute eruption of the audience during BMF’s Magic Mike Moment, who lost their white button-downs to put on an erotic, shirtless performance. The contrast between the disciplined rhythm of step and the bold abandon of the strip show was jarring, but in all the right ways.
Omo Naija X The Wahala Boys, Harvard’s premier Nigerian Dance Troupe, and Harvard College Bhangra, put on stellar performances that showcased the sheer diversity of arts and movement on Harvard’s campus. While these performances differed in style from the rest of the show, the ways in which Nigerian and Indian cultures, among countless others, have influenced American modern dance all came together as a common theme. More than “E Pluribus Unum,” we felt that the very presence of these dances demonstrated the beauty of collectivism, intersectionality, and pluralism, when it is showcased at Harvard, as well as within the United States.
According to Posternack, Eleganza typically takes place with proximity to Visitas weekend. This decision is strategically made to ensure incoming students experience the buzz of excitement among the student body after the show. If the leadership of Eleganza aims to expose incoming freshmen to the dazzling effects the show has on our community, perhaps Harvard should follow in their footsteps. Harvard should take a hint from Eleganza: from its energy, its community, and its unabashed emphasis on diversity in every form.
Through channeling ’Ganza, Harvard could become a little more sexy, confident, and empowered. Until then, though, we eagerly await Eleganza 2024.
Kate Kadyan ’26 (katekadyan@college.harvard.edu) and Amiya Tiwari ’26 (amiyatiwari@college.harvard.edu) are already prepping for 2024 Ganza auditions, though their lack of rhythm makes success unlikely.