Upcoming Events - Department of Dance - Sam Houston State University

Have a Question About One of Our Events? Give our Box Office a call at 936.294.2339

> The James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center (GPAC) is located at:
815 17th St. Huntsville, TX.

Umbilic by Graduate Student Jared Doster and performed with undergraduate Joel Rivera; This work was selected for performance at the National Dance Festival in Washington, DC and for Jacob Pillow's Inside/Out series! Photo by Lynn Lane.

Events Spring 2019

Event	Date	Time	Location
Masters of Dance; Graduate Concert Learn More Masters of Dance Spring 2019 Concert James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center Dance Theater February 7-8, 2019 @ 8:00 pm *Masters of Dance* —a dance concert showcasing a collection of diverse works choreographed by six M.F.A candidates. Each individual explores thematic content that inspired creations on the talented student body of the SHSU Dance Department. With a wide range of concepts and choreographic voices, Masters of Dance, is sure to offer something for everyone. Members of the public will have two opportunities to experience this eclectic evening for themselves. This semester’s concert will also feature the winners of the inaugural120 Seconds (or less)dance film competition. The competition’s organizers, the Masters of Dance graduate organization, received multiple submissions from which they chose a first and second place winner. The winning films will be premiered in the concert alongside the premiers of: Colette Miller’s, A Cruel Shrug in a Thousand Fleeting Moments, is a work inspired by the premise of interrogation tactics that lead to faulty confessions. The work is based on research surrounding the specific experiences of individuals who confessed to a crime they did not commit. Using video, props and complex partnering, this work sets the scene of an interrogation room in an emotionally intense atmosphere. “It is not all of life to live, nor yet all of death to die"- Edgar Cayce, a new work by Sam Scioneaux, draws inspiration from Scioneaux’s late grandmother, Margaret, and the concept of the preciousness of life. Through the heartbreak of losing a loved one, hope and remembrance emerge. Scioneaux explores the idea that as we analyze and comprehend the loss of a human life, we may better understand the consistency and continuity of our own being. Hiraeth, a work by Evelyn Toh, is inspired by the sensation of longing she has often experienced as a third culture kid. Hiraeth is a Welsh concept of longing for a home that no longer exists or may have never existed. Toh’s nomadic background meant uncertainty in a physical place to identify as home, yet, she often experiences homesickness. With this piece she physically manifests an emotion her words have difficulty describing. Jorrell Lawyer-Jefferson’s, Automaton, exploresthe way dancers process set information (choreography), and the ability to perform movement without outward expression. The choreography is sharp, athletic, and rigid, with little room for breath. As the piece progresses, the dancers experience a tug of war between their humanity and a programmed mechanical hive mind. The work ends with a soloist fighting her programming in an attempt to find her individuality, ultimately succumbing to the hive mind. Anamnesis, a piece by Rachel Meents, became infatuated with how human memory works and how dancers use memory to perform choreography. Through her research on how the brain stores memories, Meents has created a choreographic work based on how the brain acts when recalling memories. In Meri-Ashton Van Winkle’s abstract work,Malin en Deux, Van Winkle seeks to understand the dividing and mutation elements of a cancer cell. Through her choreography she explores the emotional aspects of experiencing the disease. She dedicates the piece to her grandmother who is a cancer survivor. DETAILS *Masters of Dance* James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, Dance Theater 815 17^thStreet, Huntsville, TX February 7-8, 2019 @ 8:00 pm Tickets: General $15; Seniors $12; $5 Students with valid ID Purchase online at www.shsu.edu/boxofficeor call 936.294.2339 ×	Feb 7 & 8	8pm	GPAC Dance Theate
A Cord of Three Strands Thesis Concert by Emily Davis Admission: Free Learn More A Cord of Three Strands MFA Thesis Concert by Emily Davis James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center Dance Theater February 28 and March 2, 2019 @ 8:00 pm *A Cord of Three Strands* presents a family, their relationships, and shared experiences. The story begins with a young married couple adopting a little girl that mirrors the stories of Davis' cousins adopted from China and Guatemala. A photo of the entire family holding her baby picture presented to the child shows her that she was a loved member of the family before she even arrived. As the child is introduced to the family and celebrates her birthday, different family members' personalities and relationship dynamics emerge. The second half focuses on three female family members and their relationships with each other. Personal, painful experiences threaten to divide this trio of women. They must learn to find balance in their relationships. Despite the struggle, there is hope for reconciliation and growth. The story ends with the family gathered together reminiscing on their shared memories and experiences together. The choreography was created in collaboration with the dancers, drawing from their experiences and relationships. Their stories are figuratively and literally present in the work. Emily Bailey, who plays the adopted girl in the story, shares part of her own story as she was adopted from China. The trio of women created movement phrases from their own experience with painful relationships that were incorporated into their choreography. Working collaboratively with the dancers has brought a richness to the work. The title, *A Cord of Three Strands, comes from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which states, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken." Admission to the Fall 2018 MFA Thesis Productions is free. For more information, please call the Gaertner Performing Arts Center Box Office at 936.294.2339. DETAILS* A Cord of Three Strands: An MFA Thesis Concert James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, Dance Theater 815 17^thStreet, Huntsville, TX February 28 and March 2, 2019 @ 8:00 pm Free Admission ×	Feb 28 & Mar 2	8pm	GPAC Dance Theater
Sociable: A World Lived for Others Thesis Concert by Kelsie Faught Multiple Showings at 7:30 PM, 8:15 PM, 9:00 PM. Pre-Registration required in the Dept of Dance Main Office. Sign up in person or by calling 936.294.1875. Free Admission. Learn More Sociable: A World Lived For Others MFA Thesis Concert by Kelsie Faught James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center Dance Theater & Lobby March 1, 2019 @ 7:30 PM, 8:15 PM, 9:00 PM On March 1^st, SHSU Master of Fine Arts in Dance Candidate, Kelsie Faught will present her thesis production in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center with multiple showings starting at 7:30pm, 8:15pm, and 9:00pm. Sociable: A World Lived For Othersis an immersive dance theatre experience that creates an environment in which audience members will feel as though they are attending a conference. Throughout the interactive experience, members of the audience will attend various sessions as the performers shed light on the need to Live For Others. Through the experience, audience members and performers together will investigate What We Learn Fromone another, What We Deal Within life, What It Feels Liketo be pressured, and What It Looks Liketo be who you are. Admission to Sociable: A World Lived For Otherswill open and close March 1^stwith three different showings. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required for each performance. Registration can be completed by signing up in person in the Department of Dance front office or by calling 936.294.1875. DETAILS *Sociable: A World Lived For Others* James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, Dance Theater 815 17^thStreet, Huntsville, TX March 1, 2019 @ 7:30 PM, 8:15 PM, 9:00 PM Admission: Free Limited seating. Sign up by contacting the Department of Dance in person or by phone. ×	Mar 1	7:30pm	GPAC Dance Theater & Lobby
Chi Tau Epsilon Presents: Dances @ 8 Tickets at Door through Chi Tau Epsilon	Mar 21 & 22	8pm	GPAC Dance Theater
HoustonMet: Reaching Out	Apr 4	7:30pm	GPAC Dance Theater
Senior Studio Reserve tickets at GPAC Box Office; visit www.shsu.edu/boxoffice Learn More Senior Studio Spring 2019 Concert James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center Dance Theater April 11-13, 2019 @ 8:00 pm Fifteen candidates for Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance will present their Senior capstone choreographic works in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center Dance Theater in an evening of dance with program varying nightly. BEcomING is a diverse performance that will engage the audience in dance works ranging from cultural pride, personal stories, or pure broadcasting of the strength the human body can pose through dance. During the hour and a half concert, the fifteen dance works will greatly differ from one another as they highlight but hold individual voices of their own. The choreographers hope to unearth new perspectives for the audience and to encourage them to incorporate the title BEcomING into their everyday lives as well. A few examples of themes from this evening are as follows: Ke’Ron Jamaul’s, “Mask4Masc”, is an investigation of intimacy, in both the virtual and physical realities of the 21st century; and, more specifically, within the queer community. They are interested in the current and long-term repercussions of instantaneous mental, emotional and/or physical connection with strangers. “Mask4Masc” loosely encapsulates the truth of what it means to be a queer in an age of instant-gratification. In doing so, it accepts and shares the reality of our current situation in hopes of eliciting the “right” conversations. Angie Garcia will be presenting a piece on the idea of the unpredictable. Garcia’s piece will be different every night. She has incorporated the mathematical aspect, such as probability, in order to truly portray the unpredictable. The dancers use a set of dice, a coin, and a deck of cards to structure the evening’s performance and guide the dancers through the piece. This piece was inspired by personal experiences and she believes this piece is something everyone can relate to. Abby McBroom’s “Watercolor Memories of Us” is a jazz/modern/ballet fusion dance inspired by the true definition of nostalgia; a sentiment towards the past, a period or place with happy, personal associations. Nostalgia is associated with a yearning for the past, its personalities, and events, but not limited to the "good old days" or recollections of one's past. This includes important events, relationships with friends and lovers, and moments in time that are indelible. These unforgettable moments and display of emotions are the driving force for this piece, regardless of what happens in the future. DETAILS BEcomING James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, Dance Theater 815 17^thStreet, Huntsville, TX April 11-13, 2019 @ 8:00 pm Tickets: General $15; Seniors $12; $5 Students with valid ID Purchase online at www.shsu.edu/boxoffice or call 936.294.2339 Photo by David J Deveau; Poster Design/Editing: Adam Rech and Joel Rivera ×	Apr 11 - 13	8pm	GPAC Dance Theater
Dance Spectrum Dance Spectrum provides dance majors with an opportunity to hone their craft by working with guest artists and dance faculty on challenging repertory in an atmosphere that is professional in nature. Reserve tickets at GPAC Box Office; visit www.shsu.edu/boxoffice	May 2 - 4	8pm	GPAC Dance Theater
Senior Showcase Admission: Free	May 4	2pm	GPAC Dance Theater
Non Major's Workshop Admission: Free	May 6	7pm	GPAC Dance Theater

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Department of Dance
815 17th Street, Suite 150, Huntsville, TX 77340
Phone: (936) 294-3342 or (936) 294-1875 | E-mail: shsudance@shsu.edu