The University's Dance Program showcased theitsir Fall Experimental Dance Concert in Culbreth Theatre this weekend. The show dazzled as dancers threw themselves into each creative statement. Each piece was unique, with its own cast of dancers, costumes and scenery. One extraordinary piece after another evoked different passions of the dancers and meanings for each member of the audience.
In a piece called “drop of golden sun," three girls danced with a large wooden bench. They interacted with the bench, twisting their bodies over and under it, and manipulated it by flipping it on its side, spinning it in circles and moving it across the stage. The dance suggested the bench acted as a boundary or a shield. Second-year College student and audience member Shade Wilson saw the bench as a symbol of the sun in the sky.
"The bench was like the progression of the day," Wilson said.
After each performance, the stage dimmed and soft house lights came up briefly so the audience could check the title of the next piece. These pauses were the perfect moments for viewers to share and discuss different interpretations of each choreographed movement.
Through the technical skill of the dancers and the brilliance of the various student and faculty choreographers, both newcomers and seasoned dance critics were could appreciate the dedication and time that went into the dances.
One of the dances, "Integration of Limits," was the product of collaboration between a group of dancers and engineers. The students were part of a class titled "Electronic Identity and Embodied Technology Atelier" taught by an engineering professor, Amy LaViers, and the artistic director of the Dance Program, Kim Brooks Mata.
The stage featured two screens where a projection of a programmed figure danced alongside humans. They took turns performing similar movements and the electronic figure grew from lines and circles to a more continuous form, finally appearing almost human.
The Fall Dance Concert incorporated a variety of subjects and interests to present a diverse program for audience members of all backgrounds. It unified local musicians and grad students from the McIntire Department of Music, with dance minors and various majors, with engineering students and professors to present a dynamic and moving performance.
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