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NOVEMBER DANCE: SFX SHOWCASES THE VERSATILITY OF DANCE AT ILLINOIS
November 12-14, 7:30pm, Colwell Playhouse
November Dance Exchange (Dessert and Conversation) - November 13, 6:30pm, Krannert Room
Tickets
In Student/Faculty/Exchange (SFX) new collaborations between students and faculty reveal exciting forays into dance styles rarely seen on the November Dance stage.
Krannert Center, November 12-14, 2009 : In this Dance at Illinois performance season opener, audiences will have the rare opportunity to see graduate student choreography alongside faculty work revealing an eclectic mix of dance styles rarely seen in November Dance. Explosive hip-hop dancing, an a capella tap trio, and contemporary dance mingle on stage showcasing the versatility of Dance at Illinois students.
You'll witness the evolution of one of America’s original art forms when the Colwell Playhouse Theater turns into a hip hop celebration in guest artist Millicent Johnnie’s explosive medley. This dance is a compilation of dances that have been excerpted from the Department of Theatre’s production of The Hip Hop Project: Insight into the Hip Hop Generation. A deejay will get the party started for the dancers who speak their minds on sex, death, art, politics, fashion and respect.
“Mélange à Trois”, an a cappella rhythm tap trio choreographed by MFA Candidate Sonia Warfel, references traditional tap dance routines of the Vaudeville era while weaving the complex poly-rhythms of contemporary jazz percussion with lightning-fast footwork. Sanda Saveanu and Cara Newman join Sonia Warfel onstage.
Associate Professor Linda Lehovec’s newest work, “Together We”, is made for, and in collaboration with, the members of the Dance Department’s senior class. The 12 dancers move with primal jumps, kicks, and rolls; flying through the space to the powerful music of the alternative rock and rap group Flobots. Reflecting the dual attributes of defined conflict and harmonious undertones embodied in the Flobots’ haunting music, “Together We” brings a spirit of mutual support and community to the Krannert Stage.
“Corpus Againstus”, performed by Nicholas Wagner and choreographed by Associate Professor Cynthia Oliver, is a solo of a man negotiating his gender in public and in private, his conscious and unconscious posturing evident in his every move and utterance.
Choreographer Nicholas Duran, an MFA candidate with Dance at UIUC, collaborates with composer James D. Bunch, a doctoral candidate with The School of Music, for his dance "in the offing". The music was inspired by the vast expanse of Midwestern sky while the movement material was developed in response to the inelegant beauty of a coastal landscape. When put together, a mysterious imminence prevails and is heightened by the commanding yet tentative presence of the dancers.
Reminiscent of Rosie the Riveter, MFA Candidate Hope Goldman's “Acquiring the Frontier” is a solo, which exudes confidence and determination. The dancer will not only do the job that's been left behind, but will tackle the one that lies ahead with an unparalleled fervor.
Read Kate Kuper's Interviews with the November Dance choreographers.
PROFESSOR EMERITUS BEVERLY BLOSSOM TO RECEIVE THE MARTHA HILL AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Congratulations to Bevery Blossom! She will receive the Martha Hill Award for Lifetime Achievement on November 30, 2009 in NYC. The Martha Hill Dance Fund Gala will take place at the Cathedral (504 West 41st Street). Blossom played an integral in shaping the program at Dance at Illinois and we wish her all the best. Click here to read about the program's history. For more information contact Beth McPherson at 212-736-9796 or go to www.marthahilldance.org. If you are unable to attend, but would like to congratulate her, her address is:
1346 South Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605-2595
SPOTLIGHT ON DANCE 100
Click here to watch a promotional video of Dance 100 from the Athletic Department at the U of I.
