Ramsey Kincannon
News Editor
This April 19, 20 and 21, The College of Wooster Dance Company will present its annual Spring Dance Concert. The production, which will take place in Freedlander Theatre will feature the work of students, faculty, and a professional guest performer.
The concert results from the combined efforts of cast and crewmembers, but is primarily an opportunity for students to showcase their original choreography. This year’s student choreographers range from sophomores to seniors, but have all choreographed for at least one previous Wooster concert, as per the requirements for the company’s most popular and formal production.
Unlike the Fall Dance Concert, the spring production will feature a more traditional setup, with the audience seated in the house rather than on the stage itself.
Throughout the semester, the choreographers and dancers met almost weekly to share their progress with the whole company and get feedback. While there is no overarching theme, the dances range in concept from an exploration of the complexity of movement to a trip to India.
Senior Steph Andrus says that the nine female performers in her piece are all “more experienced” dancers. Andrus claims that the “goal was to start out with more simple movements in order to create a simple image for the audience, and as the piece moves on, the image gets more complex as the piece gets more complex, which helps create a different experience for the audience and how they view the piece.”
Having recently completed her piece, Shakera Blackmon ’14 claims that it was influenced by the journal she kept while she was in India. “In a way,” Blackmon says, “the India trip became a self-exploration of me.”
Emily Bartelheim ’12 says “the Spring Dance Concert is one of my favorite things about the Dance company because it gives us a chance to professionally showcase what we’ve been working on all year.”
Director Kim Tritt has said that the group is “fabulous,” and that she has “loved working with them.” She is “very pleased with [the] progress of the concert … student choreographers have certainly placed their work on the concert as a priority.” As for the cooperation amongst the dancers, she said that the dancers and choreographers have been “inventive, engaged, responsible, and supportive of one another.” The concert will also feature an original piece from Tritt.
In addition to these performances, the concert will feature performance/sculptural artist Sha Sha Higby. Higby, currently in residence at the Ohio University School of Dance, blends art forms in order to explore the themes of her dance. Higby will also be speaking at Lean Lecture Hall on Thursday, April 19, from 1-2:20 pm.
Tickets are available at the box office leading up to the performance.