Senior dance majors’ last concert before graduation continues this weekend.
Students from The School for Classical and Contemporary Dance are putting on the senior studios concert “Here. Dance. Now,” which started Wednesday and ends Saturday, said Elizabeth Gillaspy, associate professor of ballet.
Madeline Day, a senior ballet and modern dance major, said the title of the concert, “Here. Dance. Now,” is meant to represent the idea or theme that dance is temporary. After the dance, all that is left are the images and feelings the audience has experienced, distinguishing dance from visual arts, in which paintings and sculptures are preserved, Day said.
“There are 14 seniors and each of them have choreographed one work for the show,” Day said.
She said the show does not have an specific theme because each choreographer was given freedom over his or her work.
Krista Jennings, a senior ballet/modern dance and English major, said the concert will feature performances by all students, freshmen to seniors, but the seniors have created and choreographed the dances and are producing the concert, she said.
There are 60 to 70 students doing everything from performing, lighting design, serving on the technical and backstage crews and choreographing, Jennings said.
Gillaspy said the concert consists of two segments, A and B, each of which will be performed twice on alternating evenings.
“Audiences will have an opportunity to see a wide range of ideas and points of view explored through the medium of dance,” Gillaspy said. “It will be four terrific evenings of creativity and artistry.”
Jennings said there is a dance that uses elements of board games for inspiration, and another choreographer has created a work that explores what the “ideal” woman is.
“I think our choices represent our interests and things that are personal to us,” Jennings said.
Candace Rattliff, a junior ballet and modern dance major, said this is her sixth Senior Studios performance and she is always excited around this time of the semester.
“It is a great way to see many different dance styles all wrapped up into one concert,” Rattliff said.
Jennings said the dancers work very hard to create, rehearse and perform at a professional level.
“People who attend the concert will see original work created by fellow students, which I think is pretty impressive and inspiring,” Jennings said.
Heather Bays, junior ballet and modern dance major, said this year’s senior dance majors will be performing in another senior’s work, and the majority of the undergraduate students in the School for Classical and Contemporary Dance are also cast.
“The seniors have worked very hard on their choreography projects, the capstone of their college careers before they take their talent into the real world,” Bays said.
Day said after graduation the seniors will be going to many different cities in the U.S., such as New York, Seattle, San Antonio, the DFW area and some may even look for work in other countries.
“Some will be pursuing professional performing careers, some will be looking for dance teaching or arts administrations jobs,” Day said. “Some students may continue to choreograph and start their own dance company, and others are considering grad school, either in dance or other fields of study.”