This past weekend, on Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 12, Asplundh Hall came alive with a combination of dance, music and artistic creation. The University Contemporary Dance Company (UCDC) took the stage to present their annual fall concert. This year’s theme was “Blurring the Boundaries,” with a goal to reveal a collaboration of the arts through dance. Experimenting with styles of dance, theatrical and musical elements, each piece strove to push past the barriers. The show opened with a creatively-dressed clown (Alicia Kelly) walking on stage to quiet the audience and prepare the house for the performances.
She appeared several times throughout the night – whether to mime turning the lights off or sound up – adding a light touch of comedy to the evening. Boasting of faculty, guest and student choreographers, each piece had its own creative flare while still speaking to the message as a whole. “Mind Over Matter,” choreographed by student Kirk Bixby, experimented with language, music and dance. The piece was dedicated to Nikki Donahue, a West Chester student who died earlier this semester. Bixby took a speech written by Donahue for a Forensic assignment and spliced it with words and music. The end result was a beautiful dance with an inspiring message.
An obvious crowd favorite was “Trepidation,” choreographed by West Chester student and UCDC President, Liz McFarlane. The haunting piece used the “Halloween Theme” and had dancers on stage with blood-red slashes on their clothing. With eerie lights and moves, the dance brought the feeling of a classic horror film to stage. “U$@,” to the sounds of military “Taps” and “Not So Soft” by Ani DiFranco, was choreographed by WCU alumni Jennifer Rose. Known for bringing her definite sense of creativity to the stage, Rose did it again with this backwards dance. Blank white masks were placed on the back of dancer’s heads, as well as neckties worn in reverse down their backs.
When the dancers were facing upstage, their costumes were facing downstage. This dual-personality effect created an intriguing spectacle for the audience. The concert ended with “Jump Jump Jelly,” choreographed by director Gretchen Studlien-Webb. In this number, Kelly’s original clown character suddenly found her friends as they took the stage for this fun, zany finale.
Each number of the evening was embellished with bold, full-bodied physical movements which define the style of modern dance. Another significant element of the production was the sharp and distinct lighting choices made by designer and WCU alumni Eric Seipel. With bright color choices and angles, lights accentuated the dancer’s bodies as they commanded the stage.
Whether fully lit or dark silhouettes outlined in color, the combination created an aesthetically- pleasing performance.
For another chance to see West Chester Dancer’s grace the stage, don’t miss the Dance Production Workshop, April 6-8, 2006.