Dance travels to New York City to perform at Joyce Theater

Taking flight on a New York City stage

A group of Dance at Illinois students and faculty traveled to New York City this month to participate in the University Partnership Performance, a biennial concert produced by the Martha Graham Dance Company where seven universities nationwide are invited to perform alongside Graham 2, a company that serves as a bridge between the Martha Graham School and the MGDC. The event this year was a matinée performance of historical works by prominent modern dance choreographers. Dance at Illinois performed excerpts of José Limón’s “The Winged” which was reconstructed by professor Roxane D’orleans Juste for October Dance 2024: Rewind/Remix.

Anna Lillig, a senior in Dance and Business, was one of the participating dancers. She wrote about her experience in an Illinois News Bureau article published this week: Taking flight on a New York City stage:

“In a few moments, we will perform excerpts from José Limón’s ‘The Winged’ (1966), which explores the human desire to feel free and the flight of mythological creatures. We will perform the ‘Dawn Chorus,’ ‘Harpies’ and ‘Circular Flight’ sections of the suite. I find this iteration especially challenging, as it requires dancing for nearly 15 minutes straight. This cardio-packed routine filled with jumps, lifts and sliding abruptly into the splits requires agility, flexibility, strength and a strong technical understanding.”

Read more about Anna’s experience in the Illinois News Bureau.