University Dance Company and the Department of Theatre and Dance will present “Kaleidoscope,” a dance concert, from April 19 to April 21.
The annual spring concert focuses primarily on student choreography, and includes three dances from WCU dance faculty Liz Staruch, Gretchen Studlien-Webb and adjunct professor Jerzy Golek.
Student choreographers were selected through an audition process, as was the company of student dancers performing. Student choreographers are Ally Bodine, Brittany Hetherington, Rebecca Knoll, Daquinn Lloyd, Johanna Lockwood, and Kelly Peterson.
A wide variety of dance styles will be represented, including modern, jazz, ballet, tap, and spoken word.
“Footprints,” choreographed by Bodine, and “Awakenings,” choreographed by Knoll, grew out of assignments from Studlien-Webb’s fall Dance Composition course. Both choreographers have taken their initial ideas, which include original text written and performed by Bodine and Knoll respectively, and expanded it for the evening concert.
“Orpheus and Eurydice,” choreographed by Golek and influenced by impressions of a theme from the opera of the same title by composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, is a ballet piece with a 20-student dancer ensemble.
A collaborative project, producing this concert is an undertaking for the student officers of University Dance Company, headed by President Allyssa Rommel, the faculty directors Staruch and Studlien-Webb, technical support from the Department of Theatre and Dance, and guest professional lighting designer Shon Causer, as well as the student choreographers and dancers. UDC has been working since the start of the spring semester to make sure that the best evening possible is presented to their audience.
The concert runs April 19 and April 20 at 8 p.m. and April 21 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. All performances take place in the Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre in the Swope Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are $12 for students with ID, WCU faculty and senior citizens, and $15 for general admission.
A food drive to benefit the Chester County Food Bank will be held during the Saturday, April 21, 8 p.m. concert. Bring three non-perishable items and receive a ticket for either $6 for students, faculty and seniors or $8 for general admission. Food items can only be donated on the night of the concert at the Adler box office.
For tickets or more information, visit the box office open weekdays from 12 p.m.- 4 p.m. on the bottom floor of the E.O. Bull Center, room EOB020, or call 610-436-2533. Or e-mail TheatreDance@wcupa.edu.
For more information on auditioning for University Dance Company in the future, please contact professors Liz Staruch or Gretchen Studlien-Webb via email at TheatreDance@wcupa.edu.