Sacramento/Black Art of Dance, a student-run organization in the Department of Theatre and Dance, celebrated its 10th year of existence with the performance “Praise: Past, Present, and Future,” a retrospective of the group’s work and progress.

Several past members joined current members in an attempt to “praise of familial structure, ancestry, and spirituality.” These goals were not fully realized, however, in a performance that was at times spiritual, interesting and energetic, but too often misguided. -Poor song choices and an overall lack of consistent energy bogged down the show.

The main downfall of the show was that there were too many long, drawn out pieces. -While one can appreciate the value of a slow and thoughtful piece, they were too often accompanied by pop songs that completely destroyed any hope of moving the audience.

The song choices in many of the pieces seemed quite curious, given the mission of praise, family, and culture. -“Lost …” and “… But not Forgotten” seemed to be about quarreling lovers, played by dancers Nathan Jone and Wanel Thomas.-

The piece was ruined, however, by the decision to use a Commodores song at the climax.-It should have been a moving moment, the two people coming together with a backdrop of a song giving praise to God, but one couldn’t escape the harsh reality that it was Lionel Richie wailing at the top of his lungs.-It was absolutely hilarious, even if it was unintentional.

Poor song choices also plagued “Womyn Evolving,” a slow piece weighed down by slower songs. Alanis Morisette’s “Forgive Me Love,” a song about a woman finding out about a cheating lover, seemed inappropriate and rhythmically out of place in a piece that is supposedly uplifting to women.

The overall lack of dynamic energy damaged the show as a whole. “The Black Art of Dance,” a spoken word piece, could have been quite interesting and entertaining, had it not come at a time when the last thing needed was another quiet, meandering piece.

The tediousness of the “Praise” was made all the more disappointing by the fact that there were actually several entertaining pieces throughout the show. -“An Altar Piece to Alter Peace” and “Ancestral Memories” were beautiful performances set to African rhythms that that were both spiritual and emotional. “Praise to Nina Simone,” an homage to the jazz and blues vocalist, was an upbeat and fun piece.

The highlight of the night came when virtually the entire cast danced in the “Dunham Suite.” -It was a high-energy extravaganza, with the mood of a festival celebration, as dancers leapt and spun all across the floor, their costumes flowing, in beautiful motion. This easily drew the loudest applause of the night.

The overall production of the show was also well done. While there were some moments when the dancers weren’t perfectly in sync, reminding us that they are students, the cast did a fine job performing what seemed to be

Incredibly demanding choreography. The show also featured a wide and impressive array of costumes. S/BAD have proven that they have the talent and the staying power to remain a successful company.

Unfortunately, these positives were too few in a two-hour show that needed more raw energy and direction.

It is understandable that they are attempting to draw from a diverse and rich musical history, but they could have done a better job of finding music that enhances rather than hinders their show.-

S/BAD also missed an opportunity to bring energy and excitement to their show. With such a large reunion cast on hand, they needed to spice up the program, and provide the audience with a chance to feel more of the energy they proved they could bring.