Synthesis Dance will fill Spring Sing with talent this Friday.

Focused on creating an accessible environment for UCLA dancers, the student-led group honors its name by building a team with a diverse dance background that creates its own style, said its internal operations chair, Katy Palmer. Performing for its first Spring Sing, the fourth-year economics student said the group looks forward to being highlighted within the UCLA dance community with a strong routine reflecting female empowerment and the team relationship found at Synthesis. Dancing for a wider audience than usual, co-director Christine Barber said the choreography was created with the purpose of being enjoyed by everyone, from dance lovers to those less acquainted with the art.

“We wanted to make something very pleasing to everyone, something that showcases our athleticism and diversity,” said Barber, a third-year mathematics student. “Not only something that’s skill-based and looks cool but also something that leaves an impression.”

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Being entirely supported by students, Barber said Synthesis breaks the toxicity found in the dance scenes that many members grew up in. She explained that – unlike studios that depend on the recognition they receive from the dance world –Synthesis’ priority is fostering a love for dance. Member and second-year civil and environmental engineering student Daniela Finch said the group’s encouraging environment can be attributed to this, as everyone’s motivation to be part of the team comes from a passion for the art. In addition, Synthesis’ social chair Karen Li said that having students both as members and in leadership positions can further cultivate this culture, as there is open communication within the group, in which all perspectives are equally valued.

Supporting the dance diversity of Synthesis, members are encouraged to explore beyond the main dance style of the group – contemporary – at their winter and spring showcases, Barber said. With multiple performances from groups of two to 10 people, Palmer said members have experimented with a variety of styles such as tap, heels and musical theater. This opportunity is one of the ways Synthesis is distinct from other dance groups, as students have the chance to grow as creative individuals through the exploration of their skills as choreographers, said Li, a third-year human biology and society student. Furthermore, Finch said Synthesis allows experienced dancers to see dance as an escape from academic pressure and continue their journeys with the craft without needing to major in dance.

“It’s an amazing place for people who use dance as a creative and an emotional outlet and who just view dance as an art to connect with yourself and with others,” Finch said.

With Spring Sing being held in a much bigger venue than Synthesis has ever performed in, Finch said the group has been working on its routine since the beginning of the school year in an active attempt to have a perfect performance. Palmer added that by considering the size of the audience as well as all the different angles the venue has, the group has been training to create clean movements that will look good from any seat, making sure to include many impactful elements such as leaps, tricks and turns.

Barber said one of Synthesis’ first steps when choreographing is to choose the song for the performance. For Friday’s performance, she said the process consisted of curating a playlist among the directors and using a bracket system to reach a decision. Li said the music used in a performance has a deep influence on the attitude the routine will reflect, and Spring Sing audience can expect a catchy sound that will generate excitement. To this, Barber said a song shouldn’t be seen as a separate element of the performance but instead as one with the dance because they create an experience and convey a message.

“You have to consider the fact that people are connecting these two things they’re seeing at the exact same time that they’re listening,” Barber said. “It’s important that the movement reflects the music in order to create a whole (picture) in that moment.”

Barber compared this routine’s choreographing process to writing an essay, in which many elements were slowly built on top of each other to later be edited until reaching the final product. After choosing the song, the co-director said the strategy of figuring out the movements and sequences is more abstract, with the choreographers replaying it multiple times and improvising the sound. She said this led them to slowly take different ideas from each contributor and mix them into a “rough draft” that eventually became the routine for the event.

On the logistical side, the choreographers also had to consider how to guarantee every member has a spotlight during the routine, Barber said. To accomplish this, she said they had to consider transition times, in which dancers enter and leave the stage throughout the performance and dance at different stage positions, ensuring all dancers can equally showcase their abilities.

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Spring Sing is an opportunity for Synthesis to exhibit its talent to the UCLA community with a routine that was constructed with a lot of energy and hard work from all members, Finch said. Additionally, Palmer encourages attendees to remember Synthesis’ focus on dance diversity when watching its performance as a way to further capture the group’s essence.

“Synthesis being bringing together different styles,” Palmer said. “If you have that in mind, you can definitely pick up more terms of the piece, spotting different influences and different styles throughout it. I think that’s the main thing … the idea of bringing together different styles to create something new.”