Nurture creativity and it will unfold. Party on the Edge, one of the first introductions of the fine arts to the Stanford Community for the academic year, featured a wide array of exhibitions and collaborative work of students, faculty, and visiting artists. From sculptures to music and paintings to dance, Stanford continues to execute the Arts Initiative exemplified at this nighttime spectacular. As a performer myself, the dancers performing on an outdoor stage drew my attention in particular simply because of the jubilee I found on their faces.

Cheesy with great jolts of energy, TapThat, the only tap dancing group on the Stanford campus, definitely evoked a sense of infectious happiness while dancing on stage. They were able to draw in an audience with only four dancers. Although a good portion of the witnesses were friends, there is no denying the difficulty of the steps they were doing. With most art forms, spectators do not usually understand the level of difficulty choreography imposes. As someone who has had little training in tap, I can support that those tappers knew the risks in their choreography. Bravo!

Shut the front door! When Dv8 performed, the new class of hip dancers definitely stepped it up. This was the first performance for Dv8 with its new members. The purple, gray, and black can surely be recognized across the campus. Sharleen Tu continues her position as Artistic Director and proves to have grown immensely over one year. Blocking dances can be very difficult because one must always be aware of the aesthetic presentation. Dv8 always delivers a solid performance continually innovating in choreography while maintaining the swag that makes Dv8 unique.

What is even more amazing is that many of the artists here at Stanford participate in many disciplines. Some performers can be found singing in an a'cappella group and dancing with a hip hop dance team. Some even spit out rhymes. To some students, the Arts at Stanford may not be as professional as a conservatory, but the most important asset in improving the Arts at Stanford is continuing to train and showcase the various talents we have on campus. Party on Edge acts as an opportunity for art to be shared with the Stanford Community, and it is something that should be supported and encouraged by students, faculty, and community members who are for opportune diversity of exhibition and performance.