VCU Dance to present 2004 Student/Faculty Concert

By Katrina Clemans
VCU Dance

Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Dance and Choreography will present its annual Student/Faculty Concert featuring new works by students, faculty and the choreography of José Limón restaged by guest artist Clay Taliaferro.

Performances will be held March 4, 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. and March 6 at 2 p.m. at the Grace Street Theatre, 934 W. Grace St., Richmond. Tickets are $10 for the general public, $8 for senior citizens, and free to VCU students with valid I.D. For tickets and information call (804) 828-2020.

The proliferation of quality work generated by students and faculty compelled concert director James Frazier to schedule two alternating programs that reflect the range of artistic sensibilities and creative voices currently eminent in the community of dancers at VCU. Each evening will feature faculty work and the Limón repertory with alternating student work shown on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon or Friday and Saturday evening.

Limón's timeless classic "A Choreographic Offering," created to honor his mentor Doris Humphrey upon her death, will be performed by a cast of 13 VCU dance majors. Audiences will have the opportunity to preview "Wind Colored Dark Like Midnight," choreographed by assistant professor James Frazier prior to its adjudication by a panel of internationally recognized dance professionals at the Mid-Atlantic Regional American College Dance Festival. In this piece, performed by eight VCU dance majors and set to music by Afro-Celt, bodies move through the space as if being urged by some unseen force. Also running for the duration of the concert will be "Everlasting Now," an abstract investigation of unspoken texts that underlie the ravines and vistas of a relationship by assistant professor Scott Putman. "Everlasting Now" premiered at the Praxis Project, a national dance festival in Los Angeles.

The concerts will feature a range of work choreographed by VCU dance majors including "Taps & Traps," an urban blend of tap and hip hop, inspired by a mix of classic and innovative styles by freshmen Criscia Richardson and Philip Firetog and accompanied by collaborator and music director Robbie Kinter. "Pause," a solo created by senior Sarah Ferguson, scrutinizes rare moments of recollection while John Alix uses a quartet in "Final Breath" to explore a range of human emotion and self-resilience. "Contemplating Contentment," by Travis Steele Sisk is a glimpse into the human struggle examining self-identity and contentment in relationships. "Samba Scientific," the final work of a choreography project begun in 2002 by Ligia Lewis and Drew Kaiser, is a humorous duet of two inquisitive scientists searching for answers and also will represent VCU Dance at the Mid-Atlantic Regional American College Dance Festival in March. In addition, the concerts will present the choreographic skills of VCU Dance students Tiffany Boomer, Nakita Brown, Rebecca Ferrell, Kenney Gillus, Rachel Hunter, LaToya King, Danielle Lang, Samantha Speis, Donna Vaughn, and Lauren Vann West. Music director Robbie Kinter has collaborated with several of the choreographers and has mixed or developed audio/visual accompaniment for multiple works. His own choreography "Maneuvers" will be presented as well.

The Student/Faculty Dance Concert is the seventh of 10 productions being presented by VCU Department of Dance and Choreography as part of their 2003-2004 dance season. The inclusion of the Limón repertory work in this concert is made possible in part by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and The National College Choreography Initiative (NCCI), a Leadership Initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts with additional support by the Dana Foundation, administered by Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance.

The presenting program of VCU Dance is committed to building and enlightening the dance audience in the University and Richmond community while providing opportunities for artists to present and create work. Recognized by professional dancers and choreographers as "a place where things are happening," VCU's Department of Dance and Choreography offers a vibrant and stimulating atmosphere where students prepare for careers in Dance.