Synchrony II is Back!

History

What exactly is Synchrony II? According to a friend, this is the gist:

Synchrony II was first called Ebony II back in 1973, and was originally an all-Black women’s dance group made up of people from Carleton, St. Olaf, and the Northfield area. They eventually opened it up to students of all races, genders, and experience levels, and rebranded the group as Synchrony II.

Interesting, right? Whether you’re an experienced dancer or have no experience at all, you are welcome to join Synchrony.

Taste Of Carleton

The first time I went to see a Synchrony show was when I visited Carleton back in fall 2018 through Taste of Carleton. I remember sitting there, not sure what to expect, but feeling the energy in the air. The crowd roared as the first group of performers got into position. I don’t remember the songs that were played or the choreography that was performed, but I remember having a blast seeing the performers just having fun. Even though not everyone was synchronous (see what I did there?), I was awed by the performance.

Fall 2021

Once I heard that Synchrony was going to perform, I asked my best friend Gabby if she had ever seen a performance. “No,” she said! Aghast, I insisted that she absolutely HAD to see a Synchrony show before graduation. (It’s not a ritual, but I think it’s great to see what other students have been working on as the term gets progressively harder.) Due to COVID-19, Synchrony was not able to perform last year, so this show was their first performance in two years.

Of course, Sayles was packed! Students were sitting in Lower Sayles, standing on the sides, or even looking down from Upper Sayles. Pro tip: If you want to get a good view of a show, get there early and claim a spot on Upper Sayles or in the first two rows of chairs.

A Sneak Peek

Below is a sequence of photos I was able to take of a performance:

How to Participate

In typical Carleton fashion, there’s a Google group for Synchrony! At the beginning of each term, an email is sent out about a welcome meeting. Anyone can come to the meeting and join a dance or direct one. If you want to choreograph a dance, you should probably be ready ahead of time because a demonstration of your dance would be expected. Since the show is during sixth week, everyone needs to be able to learn the moves and positions in time. There are usually two hour-long practices each week, held late at night (because that’s the only time everyone is free).

Final Thoughts

Even though I am personally not in Synchrony (because I am already in WHOA! and Karl-Pop), I am always excited to see my fellow Carleton students’ hard work in their performance. (Also, I knew a lot more people in Synchrony than I thought!)

And best of all? Once the performance is done, all of the performers invite audience members to freestyle dance with them.

Chisom is a junior Computer Science major, prospective Japanese and Educational Studies minor from Houston, TX, and Little Rock, AR. While struggling through classes, Chisom sends out weekly emails to the Anime Club (since she’s the president), listens to KPOP, and takes pictures around campus (especially during the fall). Chisom enjoys hanging out with her friends, learning about other cultures, and crafting. Meet the other bloggers!