VCU news

By Vincent Simone

The Department of Dance and Choreography in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts presents the fifth event of the 2014–2015 season — the 2014 Fall Senior Project, “Friction.”

The event takes place Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 20–22 at 8 p.m. at the Grace Street Theater, 934 W. Grace St. Tickets are $15, or $10 for students with valid ID, and are available at ShowClix or by calling 804-828-2020.

Rapidly approaching the end of their academic journey, six dance majors culminate their transformation from students to emerging dance artists by creating six works exploring friction within the social constructs of life. Rejection, choice, desires, unconscious differences, contradicting exteriors and contrasting constructions convey all the points of views within “Friction.” Though individualistic in thought, expression and movement, all six choreographers invite audiences to relate and reflect on their own relationships in conjunction with their environments.

“Vicissitude,” choreographed by Gabrielle Jena Johnson, encompasses seven dancers exploring adaptation and rejection within a set environment. Using images of Jason deCaires Taylor's underwater sculptures as inspiration, both audience and dancers will experience a transformative and emotional awakening brought on by a cyclical fluidity of movement and momentum.

“Venture,” created by VCU Dance student Sierra Noelle Jones, exposes the innermost intimate emotion of the human soul: love. Jones' piece reveals the struggle it takes to trust oneself enough to be vulnerable. In this work, she weaves a community of dancers together not for the stability of the individual, but for the entire community.

“A/P/A/R/T,” choreographed by Tarik O’Meally, examines how an individual’s fervent desire for connection within a community can lead to self-destructive behavior that only serves to further isolate the individual from the larger society. As nine performers move through an ever-shrinking, suffocating environment, they discover how much vulnerability is needed to be able to truly connect.

Rebecca Weiss carves and spirals an all-female cast creating a moving metaphor for Baroque architecture in “Unraveling Walls.” With quirky movement echoing the intricate textured layers found in architecture, Weiss weaves dancers in an environmental pastiche of delight.

“Impact)))),” an exploratory work by Dillon Spicer, allows us to witness the evolution of the human condition through a series of five dynamic vignettes. Through the shift and reorganization of five dancers and a table and chairs, we are offered a glimpse into the processes and interactions that shape our subjective unconscious and the physical representation of the ever-changing scenarios of different relationships.

The 2014–2015 VCU Dance season is made possible in part by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

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