Pink

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.- Aristotle. 

I saw the pink hair first while entering the Dunkin Donuts Center for a recent Providence College/Seton Hall basketball game. With a minute to go before halftime, bright strands of glowing colorful wigs were as visible as the Plum beach lighthouse at night. A wave of young women, teens and dance students were led to position themselves for their halftime show. They walked in matching strides, a purposeful sameness as they passed. Not a brunette, blond, black or red haired performer anywhere. Each with matching outfits featuring the same black ribbon adorning their faux hair. Their leggings were ringed by glowing tutus as intensely pink as their wigs. They synched.

Here were 44 young women from the Carolyn Dutra Dance Studios waiting anxiously to take the floor at center court. A dance group made up of many but moving as one, some looking nervous, fidgety. Nine-year-old Brooklyn Kyriakaki heard the click of my camera shutter. She grinned as she saw me sitting on the game floor with my all my photo gear. And, just like that, there was just one again, a distinctive face in a crowd of faces, one focus, one look, poised, prepared, hard working , ready to dance. She posed for just another second, and rewarded with another click, she turned her attention back to the business at hand, not her business but the team’s business. The pink and black dance team, because that was the whole reason she was there.

Copyright 2014 Kris Craig / Providence Journal