Hobart and William Smith Colleges

21 April 2011 2011 Faculty Dance Concert

The 2011 Faculty Dance Concert will take place in the Winn-Seeley Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. Choreographers Kathy Diehl, Professor of Dance Donna Davenport, Jeanne Schickler Compisi 96, Associate Professor of Dance Michelle Ikle, Assistant Professor of Dance Kelly Kavanaugh, and Professor of Dance Cynthia Williams will all present new work in the concert. Nearly 30 students will join the choreographers on stage in a lively, thought-provoking and visually stimulating night of dance.

The following are the six dance pieces in this years event:

Diehl, a guest artist will perform the contemporary ballet piece, Transcendence, which explores the process of moving beyond or above perceived obstacles or limitations. How is this process accelerated or impeded by the presence of others? Is there the possibility of collective transcendence? These questions were originally inspired by Eleanor Coerrs book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds 1,000 origami cranes will be granted a wish typically related to health, longevity and happiness. Seven William Smith dancers comprise the cast: Tristan Bartsch 13, Kaitlyn Belanger 11, Bonnie Bushnell 14, Jessica Kittle 13, Katherine Marino 12, Megan Morris 11 and Sarah Tiedemann 13.

Third Wheel is a trio choreographed and performed by Davenport, Schickler Compisi and Ikle based on a duet that they have all performed at various venues over the past three years. The choreography transformed from a conceptually meaningful duet, to a silly, theatrical negotiation, which celebrates the creative joy of three choreographers re-composing a dance.

In Blue is the result of a choreographic collaboration between Ikle and a cast of 11 student dancers. It was inspired by the dynamic relationships between people and water-specifically, people in water. People live in harmony and disharmony with water in some form every day. While developing this work, Ikle was particularly interested in creating a choreographic structure, sound score, costuming, and even title in such a way as to invite multiple plausible narratives. Lines of distinction become blurred as dancers simultaneously represent human form and images of water. The cast includes Rebecca Borsuk 11, Kathryn Bowering 11, Karah Charette 14, Jenna Davidson-Catalano 14, Caroline Dosky 12, Abigail Evans 14, Rebecca Fry 11, Nichole Geary 11, Sara McKinney 14, Andres Rios 11 and Anthony Yeboah 13.

Williams piece Aftermath explores memory, choice, and questions of how we hold onto humanity in the face of great obstacles. Based on images suggested by Steven Galloways novel The Cellist of Sarajevo, Williams choreography traverses a landscape under siege with the sounds of Albinonis Adagio in G Minor and Clint Mansells haunting score from Moon. Five William Smith dancers, Tristan Bartsch 13, Kaitlyn Belanger 11, Megan Colburn 13, Abigail Evans 14 and Jordunn Joubert13 comprise the cast.

Kavanaughs new solo, Consider this a warnin, speaks of frustration and overcoming frustration with combative ferocity and self indulgence. Her second piece in the concert, Fist full of Quills, was created to feature the beauty and juxtaposition of her diverse cast of dancers by showcasing each of the dancers personal relationship to Kavanaughs movement aesthetic. The large cast of 13 dancers is varied in their physical appearance, dance training and well as natural movement tendencies, and Kavanaughs choreography highlights these unique differences. Dancers include Marissa Biondolillo 11, Rebecca Borsuk 11, Kathryn Bowering 11, Bonnie Bushnell 14, Alex Cragg 13, Emily Dove 14, Dana Florin-Weiss 13, Nichole Geary 11, Jaheem Green 12, Jordunn Joubert 13, Megan McCullough 14, Denisse Polanco 11 and Sharon Ress 11.

For more information, please contact Cadence Whittier, associate professor of dance, at 315-781-3949 or whittier@hws.edu. Admission for HWS students will be free; tickets for general admission are $5.