The SHSU Department of Dance presents
Spring 2019 Dance Spectrum in Concert
May 1-3, 2019
Outdoor Site-Specific Experience @ 12:00 PM Daily
May 2-4, 2019
Dance Concert Experience @ 8:00 PM Daily
The Sam Houston State University Department of Dance will present the Spring 2019 Dance Spectrum in Concert May 2-4 in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center Dance Theatre at 8 PM nightly with site-specific performances on May 1-3 at 12 PM daily. The evening performance features the reset of Re-III by international choreographer Shen Wei (China) and other works by SHSU Dance faculty members that embody Fibonacci concepts, Norse mythology, Appalachian/Bluegrass sounds, and a 23-person chair dance set to Mozart. The outdoor afternoon performances centrally located on SHSU campus will feature live music and dance for all to enjoy. Additionally, MFA student Evelyn Toh will present her work “Ballad of the Assassins.” Toh’s work represented SHSU Dance at the American College Dance Association regional conference in March and was selected as 1 of 12 works out of 50 for the Gala Concert. This Spring’s Dance Spectrum will be a jam- packed weekend of dance happenings you won’t want to miss!
SHSU Dance performs work by renowned international choreographer Shen Wei
Re-III premiered in 2009 by the internationally touring, NYC-based contemporary dance company Shen Wei Dance Arts, with choreography by McArthur Genius Award recipient Shen Wei. Re-IIIwas developed as the third piece in the triptych of dances: Re- (I, II, III).Shen Wei developed each part of the triptych as a response to individual trips to meaningful sites and regions in Asia: Re-I(Tibet), Re-II(Angkor Wat), and Re-III(New China/the Silk Road). Part III was draw from Shen Wei’s return to Beijing as the primary choreographer for the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On time off during that year-long rehearsal process, Shen Wei traveled the length of the historic Silk Road which covers thousands of miles from China’s eastern coastal areas all the way west to its boarders with middle eastern countries. The Silk Road network was the primary overland trade routes linking Europe ("The West”) to China (“The Far East”) by way of the middle east.
An abstract resonance on the clash of cultures and differences in daily life between China and the west, Re-III evokes a push-and-pull of oppositional dichotomies: East/West, Urban/Rural, Individual/Collective, Capitalism/Communism, Man-made/Natural. These oppositional elements are rendered in movement as the austere, precise unison of an ensemble of dancers opposite the virtuosic, improvisatory individual expression of solo dancers. SHSU Dance is proud to be one of only a few collegiate programs to perform this important dance work.
Faculty Contributions
Department Chair Jennifer Pontius will present Allegretto for Allegra: Designing Fibonacciin a response to a challenge from her 13-year old daughter to create a dance inspired by the concepts of the Italian mathematician. Pontius states that the dance is not a literal representation of the numerical sequences but “I used a lot of graph paper and colored pens to map the dance’s progression.”
Dance professor Joshua Manculich’s Quietus makes its debut on the James and Nancy Gaertner stage after premiering the work for the School of Music’s Symphony Orchestra Concert conducted by Jacob Sustaita in early April. Quietus, itself, is an orchestration of 23 dancers and their chairs. The work eventually presents themes of loss, but not before swelling in sheer force to Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Overture.
Inspired by the legendary shield maidens of Norse mythology, dance professor David Deveau will present his newest dance for the camera Shield Maiden. Deveau states “[The film’s] a testament to the strength of the female body, mind, and spirit. This story follows our lead female, played by Reagan Lynch, preparing her warriors for battle through a night time ritual and then leading her shield maidens into the unknown that lies before them. I have recently been fascinated with the Viking way of life and this presented itself as a unique way of exploring that culture through movement and art.”
Scenes from a chicken coup? Allusions of mountain vistas and fields of blue grass? This next dance has both. Performed for the Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Honors Council and for SHSU’s 25thAnnual Sammy’s award ceremony, dance professor Andy Noble’s The BlueGrass Twist is a delightful riff on the musical traditions of the 1940s Appalachian region featuring modern twists on rhythmic clapping, toe-tapping, high-energy romps that are sure to leave you high spirits.
Taking Dance Outdoors
Where No One Could Find Us is a site-specific dance performance by our newest dance professor Donald C. Shorter that will be presented as part of the Dance Spectrum weekend of activities. Shorter premiered the stage version of this work in February for the Jewish Community Center of Houston’s Choreographers X6 as part of the JCC Dance Month. For the SHSU community, Shorter has chosen to fold the dance into the beautiful campus landscape positioned in front of the Garrett Teacher Education Center. With the aim of connecting music, nature, and dance, Shorter’s cast will perform to the live accompaniment of harpist Alaina Graiser mid-afternoon on May 1, 2, and 3 at 12:00 PM. Watch the Trailer here!
CONCERT WEEK DETAILS:
Site-Specific Showing of Where No One Could Find Us
May 1-3 at 12:00 PM
In front of the Garrett Teacher Education Center, SHSU campus
Admission: Free
Dance Spectrum in Concert
May 2-4, 2019 at 8:00 PM nightly
Tickets are $15 General Admission, $12 for Seniors, and $5 for Students.
For ticket purchase visit www.shsu.edu/boxoffice
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