Department of Dance

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Sam Houston State University’s Department of Dance is thrilled to present Aura, an ensemble of dynamic choreography created by seventeen passionate dance artists in the 2023-2024 senior class. 

Highlights from the show include:

“Lorn”, to feel lonely or abandoned. Choreographer Emma Clinton invites the audience to witness the premiere of her newest choreographic piece entitled Lorn, in collaboration with dancers. Beginning with five dancers in a single file line, encapsulated in a perimeter of light and evolving into an exploration of expansive formations and movement patterns to signify the concept of feeling alone whilst still being surrounded by people.

At what point does a humble request for equality turn into an angry demand? How far do we go in the face of social and political discrimination? Inspired by the Stonewall Riots that sparked an ongoing movement for LGBTQ+ rights, Whetstone, choreographed by Seth Abkemeier, explores these questions in a fast paced, athletic, and visually intricate piece that studies the movement expression that arose within the underground ballroom scene merged with contemporary and concert dance movement. Collaborating with the dancers within the piece explores eight individuals and how far they will go to adapt or resist the shifts in their community ignited by a single outcry for change. 

Think of a time when you were physically alone, but mentally at peace. Think of a time that a community of people embraced you right when you needed it. Contentment and Curiosity created by Victoria Johnson in collaboration with dancers depicts the comfort that one finds in isolation and their curious, yet apprehensive effort to explore and embrace the world around them. This contemporary jazz piece aims to communicate that there is peace in solitude and strength in companionship.

We all know the feeling of a sneeze or an itch, the overwhelming urge to sneeze or scratch the itch. But what if that was constant? Life’s a Twitch by Elizabeth Kaptchinskie in collaboration with dancers, come and learn what it's like to live with Tourette’s Syndrome. Five dancers portray the fun and the isolation one can go through when suffering from TS. 

Nothing's Maw by Cameron Hammer is a dance that utilizes mechanical movement and explores choreographic themes of isolation. Taken in two parts, the piece explores a transition between two periods and explores the effects of labor systems on the body through choreography. This work showcases seven dancers exploring the limits of parameters set on movement.

In this life, not everyone gets to be their authentic selves from birth to adulthood due to various internal and external fears. Boo! Bitch!, choreographed by Jesus Coronado Viera, takes its audience on a rollercoaster of a personal journey (from navigating hardships to embracing their authentic self) through various styles and qualities of movement inspired by the most popular of horror movies and songs from Kim Petras’ (trans pop artist) second album, ‘TURN OFF THE LIGHT.’ Boo! Bitch! features eight dancers that serve as manifested fears while simultaneously representing stages in the life and journey of the main character. Through unison movement, soloist highlights, horror movie references and club-banging, petrifying music, Boo! Bitch! delivers a bone-chilling experience, where the audience witnesses triumph.

Escaping from the “real world” is a luxury many people indulge, especially when coming of age in a destabilized world. Providing beats to study/relax to: Lofi Girl, choreographed by Sophia Green, explores the phenomenon of lo-fi hip-hop culture and popularity. Inspired by themes of nostalgia, alienation, and realism; seven brilliant dancers explore their presence in a stylized swirl of movement. This engaging piece presents individuality and collaboration in an exciting and intriguing composition.

Olivia Salazar’s dance They Go On creates a new narrative inspired by Ursula K. LeGuin’s open-ended tale, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” After escaping from the life she is ready to leave behind, the main character begins her treacherous search for a new community to call home. She must defeat enemies, overcome moral strife, and struggle in isolation before finding those willing to unashamedly embrace her as their own.

“Untitled” is a work that is inspired by the album “Currents” by Tame Impala and the human experience of being alone. Five dancers move on stage, reflecting the sound of Tame Impala and others, highlighting the connection of body and sound. Dancers move because of music and even with no sound, there is an internal rhythm going through the body. This work plays with the concept of musicality and how music makes us feel. In this work, the audience will also see a personal journey with the comfort and discomfort of solitude.

Imagine a world, full of anxiety and worry, never being able to tell what is real and what isn’t. Distorted Reality by Natalia Gonzalez takes the audience on a whirlwind of emotion and struggle, trying to perceive what their brain is telling them versus what their life is truly like. In a performance full of trust and partnership, will the dancers be able to make it out fully sighted to their reality? Or will they fall into the motion their head takes them...

Shadow Work by Aniya Wingate is a lively dance that immerses the audience into the quiet, but forceful place of the subconscious mind. The dancers open a space for vulnerability while moving in accordance with their shadows, the parts that we deem invaluable and hide from society. The shadows invite transparency onto the stage and transform the dancers’ movement as they embody the power that is no longer repressed. 

Duality by Camila Maldonado is about someone leaving their community on the lookout for something better, but finding out along that where we come from will always be with us. "It is the price to pay for having more than one place to call home." Six dancers form a community from which one wants to escape and get to a new place, represented by a seventh dancer.
Trading roles and creating a sense of pathway on stage, the result is an enigmatic dance that becomes an emotional space for the viewer to reflect and enjoy the world the dancers create on stage.

Zoe Boyd’s Playfully Unburdened is a nostalgic and whimsical piece about reconnecting with that feeling of unadulterated freedom found in childhood. Five women, dressed in spring-time pastels, dance to the sound of early 1970’s rock. By creating organic shapes and constantly trading places in the warm light, the liberated movement goes on to create a lighthearted piece that may bring back a fond memory for viewers.

Ambivalence choreographed by Kira Starr is about how individuals cope with the anxiety of the future whilst reminiscing about the past. Six dancers weave around each other across the stage forming duets and trios. Set to music by Have a Nice Life and Ludwig Göransson, the work demonstrates suspension, anticipation, and athleticism.

Kamryn Waldron’s United In Grief is a corporal and edgy piece about the maniacal reality of grieving as a woman. Ten women, dressed in deep brown with words on their bodies representing the underlying grief they have to face daily, dance to various sounds by Kendick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. By creating diverse textures, shapes, and use of intricate but dynamic movement resembles what grieving looks like as a woman and may provide viewers with a new interpretation as to what grieving means for themselves.

Melodious, choreographed by Kaylee Phipps, is a dance piece that explores sonic and visual stimuli through the physical exploration developed jointly with her cast of dancers. As a result, the work examines the relationship between the musicality of the sound scores, the dynamic choreography, and the thoughtful arrangement of the bodies within the performance space. During Melodious, the audience can see the performing artists challenging their internal metronome against choreographic phrases set to intricate rhythms that result in a unique demonstration of their own individuality. The dancers work together to bring light to the sounds within the music through ripples, dynamic movement, and contrasting the instruments the viewers might hear with the naked ear. 

Do you remember a time you experienced a sleepless night ? How did that make you feel? Anxious ? Stressed? Jose Marin Narvaez’s new choreographic work De Papel takes you on a journey of personal experience. This dance features eight dancers that move through space as an exploration of self-reflection and self-awareness.

DETAILS:
Aura
James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, Dance Theater
815 17th Street, Huntsville TX
November 2-4, 2023 @ 8pm
Tickets: Visit www.shsu.edu/boxoffice or call 936-294-2339 for more info.
Program order varies nightly

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