Today@Sam Article

Dance Profs 'Light Up' Stage With 'Alluring' Performance

July 7, 2016
SHSU Media Contact: Tammy Parrett

Supernova
With their latest production "Supernova," NobleMotion Dance will explore the lifecycle of a star, perception among time and parental relationships. —Photo by Lynn Lane

Two Sam Houston State University professors and their NobleMotion Dance company will “light up” the stage, presenting two nights of “jaw-dropping” and “imaginative” programming at the Hobby Center’s Zilkha Hall.

“Supernova” will feature a cast of 28 dancers performing among various lighting through its six pieces. The show will be presented Aug. 26-27 at 7:30 p.m. on both evenings.

The concert represents the fourth consecutive year for NobleMotion Dance to present at the Houston Hobby Center.

NobleMotion Dance is under creative direction of SHSU associate professor of dance Andy Noble and assistant professor of dance Dionne Sparkman Noble. The collaborative team behind the show includes SHSU dance visiting professor and light artist David Deveau, SHSU lecturer and composer David Ikard, SHSU dance costume design specialist Barry Doss, and set designer Liz Freese.

“It’s a show that might leave an audience in a liminal place, peering into the darkness to see more,” critic Neil Ellis Ortis said about the show. “It’s an imaginative and exciting place to be.”

The concert will open with “Supernova,” a dance that emulates the lifecycle of a star, according to Noble.

“Throughout ‘Supernova,’ the lights become so bright that the audience and performers alike will be given sunglasses to wear,” Noble said.

Next, “Lorelei’s Whisper” and “Earth” updates two of NobleMotion’s critically acclaimed and visually alluring works that use technology to blur the lines between the digital and corporeal world.

In their largest collaboration to date, “Pentimento,” the group of dancers will pay tribute to the classic modern aesthetic.

“Pentimento” plays with the perception of time as dancers morph in and out of the past, according to Noble. 

The evening will close with “A Motorcycle for Moses,” a quirky, stylish and athletic piece that plays with concepts of counterpoint, and “Quietly, on my Father’s Back,” a duet portraying a father/daughter relationship and the challenges of parenthood. 

“Our company currently employs 10 SHSU alumni, and because we needed so many dancers to perform in ‘Supernova,’ we were able to invite six students to be featured as guest performers,” Noble said. “It provides them with great real-world experience that will help them stand out among their peers after graduation.”

NobleMotion recently was named Houston’s Best Dance Company by the Houston Press and was featured on the Emmy award-winning show “American Crime.”

Tickets for “Supernova” range between $27-37. Student and group discounts are available. They can be purchased online at TheHobbyCenter.org or by calling 713.315.2525.

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