Brandeis Liquid Latex held its 19th annual celebration of body positivity last Tuesday. This year’s event “Thank u, Latex” took inspiration from Ariana Grande’s hit song “thank u, next,” and each performance was an homage to pop culture. 

The first act of the night,“It’s Latex, Bitch,” was an amazing opener. The choreography and costume design — thanks to Ricki Levitus ’20 — were impressive, and it felt like attending an actual Britney Spears concert. With each routine, the audience experienced a blast from the past as the dancers portrayed different eras of Britney Spears’ career. My personal favorite was Sara Getzoff’s ’21 performance of 2007 Britney — umbrella in hand.

The second dance sequence was “Planetarium Expedition,” featuring songs like “Space Jam” by Quad City DJ’s and “Alien” by Katy Perry. Designed by Gemma Curnin ’19 and choreographed by Haley Director ’20, the performance featured cosmic costumes that were truly out of this world. Just like the celestial bodies this performance was based on, each individual’s different design and personality contributed to making it the hit that it was.

Then, Brandeis met Broadway during “Latex the Musical,” which took inspiration from some of the most popular Broadway musicals to grace the stage. Designed by Darcy Howell ’21 and choreographed by Meghana Reddy ’21, it featured students dancing to songs from classic musicals like “Wicked,” “Hamilton” and “The Lion King,” impressing everyone in the audience. Even someone as unfamiliar with Broadway as myself could appreciate the work that went into this performance and instantly recognize the characters that were portrayed. 

Following the Broadway tribute was “Kitt’s Angels,” a moving celebration of the work of Eartha Kitt. Using a mix of spoken word and song, the performers demonstrated the importance of, in Kitt’s words, “falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you.” This work was designed by Al Colon ’21 and choreographed by Colon and Lissa Sangree-Calabrese ’21. The graceful movements displayed really conveyed the emotion behind Kitt’s words and “Kitt’s Angels” was a successful tribute to a Black female icon. 

The last act before intermission was titled “Mt. Ωlympus,” designed by Samantha Jean ’19 and choreographed by both Aviva Davis ’21 and Andie Watson ’21. It started off with extremely high energy as each performer commanded the stage, each representing a figure from Greek mythology. Dancing to the song “Bossy” by Kelis, there was no better choice to set the mood. The performance ended with “God is a woman” by Ariana Grande, and was a great way to get the audience excited for the acts to follow intermission. 

After the intermission, students were reintroduced to the lively world of Liquid Latex. The performance to reconvene the show was titled “It’s Good to be Bad” and was designed and choreographed by Rebecca Kahn ’19, the president of Liquid Latex. The routine channeled the inner Disney villain within all of us and the theme was highlighted by the great costume design, choreography and stage presence of the students. The group even danced to “King’s Dead” by Kendrick Lamar, a comedic nod to the villainous theme, and ended with Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation,” reminding us that one can enjoy being bad. The next act, titled “Celebrating Originality,” was choreographed and designed by Brianna Silverman ’19. As the title suggests, it was a celebration of what makes everyone unique. Each participant had a unique costume design and song, yet they all meshed well, just as in real life, as our differences are what make us unique. 

The next piece, “Ferris Bueller’s Clothes Off,” designed by Casper L’Esperance-Kerckhoff ’19 and choreographed by Shoshanah Weinreich ’20, took inspiration from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Mean Girls” and “Dirty Dancing.” Featuring Ferris Bueller portrayed by Bradley Kaplan ’21 and four Santas, the routine utilized a fan favorite — the performance of “Jingle Bell Rock” from “Mean Girls”. It was practically Christmas in March. 

The next (and possibly the funniest)performance was “Magic Mike.” It was designed by Max Michel ’19 and Claire Kiewra ’21 and choreographed by Michel, Kalunda Anthony ’20 and Kahn. The group used a mashup of “Crank Dat,” “Bedrock” and “Cotton Eyed Joe” to entertain the crowd, and it was successful; there wasn’t a dull moment. 

The final act of the night was the sweetest of them all. “Candy Land” was designed and choreographed by Lily Feinson ’19, and featured candy-related songs ranging from 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” to “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies. 

The night ended as the performers and the executive board of Liquid Latex congregated      

on stage for their final praise and presented Kahn with a bouquet to thank her for all of her hard work reviving the club within the past two years. 

Overall, Liquid Latex was an enjoyable evening for both performers and attendees. During the entire show, students were reaffirmed that “EveryBODY Is Built For Latex.” Acting as a platform for creativity and expression, it is one of the most special Brandeis traditions that I have experienced and one that should not be missed — if you didn’t go this year, there’s always the next.