Eleganza is a dance fashion show, uniquely fusing clothing and movement to create a unique, vibrant production that is equally thrilling for both audience members and performers. As model Della Williams ’27 exclaimed, “[Eleganza] was truly one of the best days of my time here.” The show was founded in 1994 by Black C.A.S.T., Harvard College’s Black Community Arts and Student Theater organization.
Eleganza 2025 was held on April 26 in the Bright-Landry Hockey Center, featuring a custom stage built in the middle of the hockey rink. This year’s Executive Producers were KG Buckham-White ’26 for Production, Megan Huo ’26 for Finance, and Emily Phương Trần ’26 for Fashion & Publicity. Attendees of the show have the option to purchase a spot in the “VIP” section, allowing barrier-level access to the stage, or seated general admission tickets.
Eleganza is split into three separate scenes choreographed by “Scene Directors,” each with three acts consisting of multiple dances across a 20-minute set. This year’s scene directors were Melody Cao ’26, Yasmine Moussa ’26, Red Hamblin ’27, Daylan Davis ’25, and Aimee Howard ’25. Eleganza 2025 also featured three guest acts: Omo Naija and the Wahala Boys, the Harvard Contemporary Collective, and the Black Men’s Forum.
Eleganza partners with local stores and brands to dress their dancers and meet the visions of each scene director. Fashion directors Joanna Walters ’25, Hayden Bennett ’26, Eleanor Rubin ’28, Azeez Richardson ’25, and Nurayn Khan ’26 sourced clothes from Cambridge thrift stores like the Attic and the Garment District, as well as Boston-based Groovy Thrifty and Diversity Consignment. They also sourced from the Harvard Recycling Center, the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club, and the dancers’ and fellow students’ closets. Costuming throughout the show ranged from white-tee-blue-jean looks, to red bikini tops and black sweatpants, to Y2K velour tracksuits and high fashion.
The show opened with Cao and Moussa’s scene “FTCU.” Throughout their performance, recent hits by Doechii, Charli XCX, and Drake were complemented by throwbacks from Cassie and Montell Jordan. Dance lead Jamie Momoh ’25 stole the spotlight in “Chicago” by Michael Jackson, sporting an unbuttoned white suit jacket and a singular shiny gold glove, moonwalking across the stage like Jackson himself would. Another notable moment was when Patris Haxhiaj ’25 strutted down the runway in a large fur coat to the sound of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” He proceeded to sit at the edge of the stage with an empty liquor bottle, swaying to the music, greeted by cheers and applause across the arena.
Later on, the vibe turned a bit more ‘hot and heavy.’ The Weeknd’s “One of the Girls” played as four pairs of dancers put on a suggestive show, cheered on by the audience. And it would be criminal not to note Roy Han’s ’25 on-stage costume change—that is, when he ripped off his tear-away pants to reveal shiny gold booty shorts while lead Norah Ostin ’25 pulled off his shirt to reveal a large gold chain with a dollar sign on it.
The second scene, “ORIGIN,” directed by Hamblin, consisted of three acts: Society, Sex, and Race. The scene description encompassed this idea, stating that “from the streets where Hip-Hop was born to the stages where R&B ignited passion and protest, we honor the societal, sexual, and racial components that have driven music over the past decades using dance and fashion.”
The music reflected these themes as well, incorporating tunes from Kendrick Lamar to Sir Mix-A-Lot to emphasize the timelessness of these anthems and their lingering effects on R&B and hip-hop today. “Red was very intentional about picking the songs,” dance lead Ifeoluwa Adedokun ’25 noted.
“Making and teaching all of that choreo all by herself and as a sophomore is insane,” Momoh said of Hamblin. “It’s such a gift to be able to learn from her because of the way she sees dance as a whole.”
The third scene, Dirty South, choreographed by Davis and Howard, blended diverse dance styles—including majorette and stomp and shake—while showcasing musical traditions of the Southern U.S., from Louisiana to Texas. The scene and its accompanying fashion “aim[ed] to honor the South’s influence on hip hop and pop culture,” co-fashion directors Rubin and Kahn wrote.
Dirty South featured songs like “I Bet U Won’t” by Level and Mouse On Da Track and a final walkout and bow to “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” by Beyoncé. Throughout the scene, dancers donned everything from cowboy boots to early 2000s club chic, opening with a unified entrance in cowboy hats that they tossed into the crowd
At over two hours long, Eleganza might seem like a daunting show. But as costumes, dancers, and songs changed, the energy level remained high. The show was fast-paced, with many dancers in back-to-back dances, quickly switching clothes in between acts. However, not once did the performance lack precision. The dancers came out focused and ready to give the crowd what they wanted.
This energy didn’t just come from the stage, but also from around the venue. Down in the arena, the crowd was screaming, dancing, singing along, and shouting out to their friends as they performed. The dancers fed on this energy and gave it right back to the crowd. There was probably more cheering at Eleganza than I’ve seen at any Harvard football game—rivaling that of The Game itself—energy that carries on long after the show. “The best part about Ganza is the day after, where I’m walking down the street and people I’ve taken a class with all semester stop to tell me how much they enjoyed the show,” Adedokun said.
Eleganza is absolutely worth the time and money to be part of the experience, speaking as someone who continues to attend year after year. Eleganza is more than a show—it is a cultural experience that captures our school spirit. This spirit is a two-way street, also giving back to the dancers who take part in the performance. “Eleganza gave me an environment where I could not only learn to dance to different styles, but display my own choreography and share my interest in music and dance with others,” Momoh stated.
“It’s the friends and family I’ve made along the way that has truly made my Eleganza experience a core and beautiful memory of my time at Harvard,” Adedokun added.
Eleganza auditions take place each fall. “It’s a lot of work, but Eleganza has such an amazing community and it is the best feeling in the world to perform on that stage with all your friends,” demi-lead Carly Gelles ’27 said. And even if you decide not to perform, it’s worth your while to come out to Eleganza and feel the vibrant culture of the dance community across Harvard’s campus.
Sophie DePaul ’27 (sophie_depaul@college.harvard.edu) blushed more than once during this year’s Eleganza performance.