Posted by Tegan O'Neil
On Nov. 13 approximately 200 people filled the Skidmore College Dance Theater to watch the Choreography II and Dance Production Class Showing. A line formed even before the doors opened at 2:15 p.m. for the 3 p.m. performance.
The showing was comprised of 11 pieces choreographed by the students of the Choreography II class in collaboration with the lighting designs of the Dance Production class.
The show began with "Diversions," choreographed by Rachel Bier '12 and set to music by Gabriela Montero and Billy Joel. The lighting designer was Emily Craver '11. The dancers — Alison DeFranco '13, Rebecca Greenbaum '11, Anna Long '11, Sydney Magruder '14 and Talya Wolf '13 — were strikingly on par with the music. Their movements were clean and the group worked seamlessly together.
The second piece, "Love Beckons," choreographed by Hattie Young '12, blended words and music to an interesting, creative effect. Young also designed the sound for this piece, weaving text from Blogs, Kahil Gibran, Michael Drayton and Petrarch into a soundtrack of Billie Holiday, Elvis Presley and Mozart.
Ivy Rose Cardillo '14, Emily Cohen '13, Jennifer Latsch '12, Hartley Parish '11 and Martha Snow '14, the dancers of the piece, matched their sexually charged movements with the ominous tone of the text spoken over the music, which created an interesting yet disturbing aura. Sabrina Lumbert '12 designed the lighting for this piece.
Chloe Prasinos '
13 choreographed "Divided We Fall" set to music by Timothy Andres, who visited Skidmore earlier this semester with the Academy of Carnegie, Juilliard and Weill. The Dance Production Class along with Lori Dawson, technical director, lighting designer and Dance Theater manager, designed the lighting for this piece and Kat Sullivan '12 stage-managed.
The dancers — Anna Kerr '12, Lauren Parra '13, Lucia Ruggieri '13 and Ayako Shapiro '14 — told a powerful story - with their strong and decisive movements.
Emily Craver '11, Jacob Goodhart '12 and Corry Ethridge '14 used clapping and snapping in "Between a Flash and a Clap," choreographed by Emily Pacilio '12, to create the impression of sitting on a back porch on a warm summer's eve in Kentucky. Their loose khakis and white shirts also contributed to this casual, playful mood.
Their movements and sounds were set to the music of Paul Cantelon, Etta James, Blind Willie Johnson and Charley Patton. It was a fusion of classical, blues and a tinge of bluegrass designed by Allison Dell Otto '12. Sullivan designed the lighting.
"001011001101," choreographed by Danny Weinstein '11, was marked by futuristic, almost mechanistic, movements set to electronic music by Aphex Twin. The dancers included Aditi Datta '13, Paige Duarte '14, Emily Hudspeth '13, Heather Miki '11, Amanda Ostrove '13 and Nicole Sartor '11. The lighting designer, Zoe Prengaman '11, played with the electronic music and robotic movements of the dancers to heighten the futuristic dynamic.
Senior Kristiana Hubley's choreography for "Mourning Dew," set to Le Mystére Des Voix Bulgares recorded by Marcel Cellier, had her dancers fluidly and ephemerally grace the stage. Hannah Foster '14, Hannah Garland '13, Greenbaum, Shapiro, and Snow moved effortlessly as if in another world. Cameo Lethem '14 stage-managed and Lori Dawson designed the lighting.
Long choreographed "Experience Uploaded" to music by Jonathan Wan '12. The music combined with the solid movements of the dancers — Talia Arnow '13, Emily Craver '11 and Lumbert — related a captivating story to the audience. Lethem designed the lighting.
The minimalist music of Arvo Pärt provided the dancers, Duarte, Ostrove, Ruggieri and Tess Wendel '11, with spiritual material to work with in the piece, "Then There Was Her," choreographed by Daniel Chenoweth '11. As they spun around the stage in billowing grey pants, they appeared to coalesce. Julia Robins '12 designed the lighting.
"As Things Unravel," choreographed by Lumbert, was filled with tension and constrained violence. The dancers Ethridge, Pacilio and Wolf seemed to be telling a story of an old rage mixed with a new one. The glowing lighting designed by the Dance Production Class along with Lori Dawson intensified these emotional undertones. Robins stage-managed.
Dorothy Franks '14, Madruger, Michael Rivera '13, Cardillo and Angela Spyrou '14 put on an exotic and dynamic performance to music by Nico Muhly and Meriedith Monk in "M.I.D.A.S." This piece, choreographed by Courtenay Thorne '12, was packed with jumps and turns and rolls and leaps.
The cherry on top for this piece was the Amazonian hair sported by the dancers. Greenbaum designed the lighting.
The closing piece of the showcase, choreographed by Hartley Parish '11, starkly contrasted the wild and dark style of ‘M.I.D.A.S.' with its sassy and comedic ambience. Cohen, Nicole Kadar '11 and Young wore outfits reminiscent of circus performers and pranced and joked about the stage, hamming up the spotlight.
Their playful routine was set to music by Gerald Marks and Dizzie Gillespie. Garland designed the lighting.
The turnout for the event was impressive. As the intimate space of the dance theater quickly filled up, audience members sat on the floor and stairs in order to get a seat.
The Choreography II class studies solo and group choreographic techniques and related musical and production resources.
The Dance Production class offers a basic foundation in dance production. Students learn about the necessary collaboration between choreographers, designers, technicians and publicity managers. Students also learn the technical aspects of design for dance including sound, light, stage management and publicity.