The 2021 Fall Senior Dance Concert “Through,”

THROUGH

The 2021 Fall Senior Dance Concert 
Shirley Wimmer Dance Theater located in Putnam Hall

Friday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 21 at 1:00 p.m.

School of Dance presents, “Through,” the annual Fall Senior Dance Concert, the culminating project for BFA dance majors. Twelve seniors employ their unique perspectives in newly created choreographic works.

The concert will include individual and group performances with original choreography and direction by Morgan Arcoraci, Madison Bauza, Paige Campbell, Keeley Conroy, Toria Gobel, Ellen Hesketh, Elyse Kassa, Madison Keever, Jillian Lewis, Emma J Little, Noah Molina, and Anna Stover. 

Tickets are $12.00 for general admission at the door and $14.00 for general admission if purchased online. The concert is free to students with a valid OU ID only at the door thanks to the support of Arts for OHIO. 

STUDENT PROJECT STATEMENTS

Toria Gobel’s not just ME but US is a somber piece exploring women empowerment and support while also breaking away from stereotypes that all help in creating a curious environment. The piece uses the sound “It Fits” by Michael Wall to add to the curious atmosphere of the piece.

Jillian Lewis’ THANK YOU is a group piece about reflecting on her college experience. She uses the underlying beat of the music to display overcoming those feelings of heartbreak and not fitting in. This passionate piece was created with the intent to create a safe space for her, the dancers, and the audience to celebrate their overcoming of trials together. Therefore, Jillian has chosen Fantasia’s award-winning classic, “It’s All Good!” to celebrate resiliency.

Tarantism: Conquering sensations of melancholy through dance, a compelling longing to dance. Keeley Conroy’s piece, Tarantism, is a group piece that delves into the struggles of desolation while still receiving support from a community. “Last Moment” by Christophe Filippi accompanies this piece to set a dark, enchanting atmosphere for the piece.

Elyse Kassa’s solo work, On Getting Dressed., explores an evolving identity continually molded by self-perception. Kassa’s performance invites the outside, inside, by offering small glimpses into their everyday attempts at authenticity. The piece is performed in four parts to the same repetitive dramatic drone to create a very distinct and familiar setting.

An improvisational ritual developed by the cast (under the direction of Emma J Little), a recipe for arrival, is an exploration of process in which cooking serves as a metaphor for all kinds of literal and figurative journeys. Most simply, the piece is a recipe for the creation of a surreal universe in which the ingredients of movement, music, prop, and text combine, becoming the reality in which the performers travel. It is fueled by the earnest effort of navigating the convoluted, whimsical, and unexpected “means” to many imaginary and never-quite-arrived-at “ends.”

Anna Stover’s -rupt is a dynamic seven-member group piece that investigates repetition and stresses high energy movement. The dancer’s relationships are developed with an intense focus on one another and the space as they progress in the choreography. The music score created by Mason Barnett and Lorenzo Fava produces a steady drive that is matched by the dancers. The precise movement has a sense of urgency that is emphasized by the music score.

Morgan Arcoraci’s glitter loop is a solo stream of consciousness interrupting reality with dreams. Morgan aims to reshape the reality of her memories on stage in a whimsical and ethereal way.

Jerry Dixon’s original score supports this loop of reality reimagined on stage.

Madison Bauza’s a part of One and One alone, explores themes of loneliness within the constructs of a community. The work dives into the different relationships between oneself isolation and a collective sense of togetherness between the dancers. Set to “Together Alone C” by Michael Wall, the viewer is encouraged to be fully submerged in the complex inner emotions one can feel when dealing with personal loneliness. This work is to try help the viewer question their own emotions when dealing with isolation to hopefully start a dialog about how we as people can reconnect with others.

12:43 am, somewhere familiar, performed and choreographed by Paige Campbell, dives into sensations of comfortable but uncomfortable situations. Noticing feelings, body parts, and emotions, this piece, set to the sound of Dream of Ankara by Salue Kilaite, investigates what it feels like to be familiar with an unfamiliar setting.

aftermath, is a solo performed and choreographed by Ellen Hesketh, that presents movement as a result of chance procedures; showing the struggle and break down of the creative process while the sound of Busy Restaurant Sound Effect by All Things Grammar provides an ambiguous, interpretive layer to the presentation of artistic movement.

Find and Found is the latest work by Madison Keever. Danced to the music of Podington Bear, the sound creates a warm and meditative environment. Four dancers surround and bear witness to a solo dancer who introduces the body vocabulary. An inviting gesture interrupts the solo as the odyssey continues. The result is a warming, swirling collection of bodies progressing as a community.

A Memory is a solo work by Noah Molina about reminiscing of a time of peace and rest. It’s set to an original score for cello, piano, and violin, composed by Noah J. Gruenberg. Together, the music and movement create a calm and dreamy atmosphere.

 

Published
November 17, 2021
Author
Staff reports