Dana Murano can usually be found talking behind a podium at MCDE meetings, running dance rehearsals or promoting the club’s community service events. This semester, in addition to fulfilling her duties as MCDE President, Murano is choreographing a contemporary number to be debuted at this year’s fall recital. The thirty dancers in Muano’s class will be performing to the acoustic version of “14 days” by Arkitekt. This song is based on an addict battling an addiction. In Dana’s words “I wanted the dance to portray the addict’s struggle and how they always find themselves coming back to what they’re addicted to”. This will be displayed by half of the dancers acting as the addict and half acting as the addiction.
Murano is hoping to depict a story through this piece and so far the class is picking up her fast, intricate choreography well, even with the large number in the room. Murano’s passion for the song and the story it tells comes through with each learned step. She explains her song choice by saying “some pieces of music just tell stories, and this was one of them. My dancers so far are really bringing the vision I had for this piece to life and I can’t wait to finish it and share it with an audience”. Those in attendance at the fall show can look forward to watching the dancers throwing themselves into every movement of the dance.
Murano hopes that each dancer can find a way to relate to the story of addiction in order to dive into the intense emotions that it contains. She justifies that the song “was written about an addiction but I think it can be applied to anything that’s holding you down but you can’t get away from it”. After five previous semesters choreographing for the dance ensemble, Murano is taking a step back into her comfort zone with a contemporary piece, her dance style of choice.
Members of the Marist College Dance Ensemble can trust that they are good hands with Murano as president as she proudly leads the largest organization on campus. She comments that “when I became president, I was left with the advice that the club would never stop amazing me with its growth, members, and new endeavors. I can see that happening already and it is an incredibly gratifying experience to facilitate the operation of this club”. With this love for MCDE and passion for her emotion-filled choreography, there is no doubt that Dana Murano will have a large impact on the club and recital audiences this year.
Article and photographs by Lizzy Peper
MCDE Behind the Curtain 