“Our time is finite,” said Caroline Lewis Jones, co-director with Morgan Holton of the upcoming show “(in)FINITE”, to be presented by the Columbia dance collective Unbound this weekend at the River Bluff High School Performing Arts Center. 

81 dancers will participate in the program: 31 Unbound company members, 27 apprentice company members and 23 tappers from the Hands Down Tap Project. Based out of New Jersey and New York City, Hands Down Tap Project is directed by professional tap dancer and choreographer Nick Dinicolangelo. Ricci Milan will be back to host “(in)FINITE,” after making his inaugural debut with the company in Unbound’s 2021 presentation of “One.” 

Milan is a dancer and artistic director of the Rhythm Street Movement, a Minneapolis-based creative company that specializes in the development of original music, dance, education and theatrical productions.

At 41, Jones said she may be the oldest dancer in the show, and that has given her a new perspective on the theme. 

“I want this show to be about our past moments, our present moments, and those foreseeable future moments, which all together define us,” she said. “Often we want time to go faster, perhaps to get through hard moments, but the truth is we all want it to slow down, so we can cherish what we have.” 

Translating that into dance is what the Unbound dancers and their collaborators for this show will be doing on stage, and Jones’ co-director Morgan Holton said that it’s those dancers who will make the night special:

“Any show of this magnitude is no easy feat, but what has made this process feel seamless is the energy that this particular group of people contribute to this space. This show is special – it’s fulfilling, it’s vulnerable, and it’s important.”

If your exposure to the dance world is limited to holiday “Nutcracker” viewings, rest assured that Unbound is a very different experience.

“Our company was created to show Columbia all styles of dance,” Jones offered. “The different vernaculars of dance are widespread, and we utilize jazz, lyrical, tap, contemporary, hip-hop, and yes, even ballet.”

She added that the reason they do themed shows like “(in)FINITE” is so they can tell a story through dance, not just showcase great dancers.

“Our company’s movement is very athletic, but it’s also very story-driven,” Jones said.

The community support has been an important part of putting together shows such as this one, and there is more to come,” she added

“My dream is to collaborate as much as we can with other local artists, businesses, and schools for more projects in the future,” Jones said.