乐播视频

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Western students have been hard at work rehearsing for the 2017 Spring Dance Concert. Directed by Darryl Thomas, the Spring Dance Concert features 12 different dances from student and faculty choreographers, including a performance from Rainbow Dance Theatre and a guest piece from Tim Cowart.

Students have been rehearsing since January for multiple days a week for the performances, which will be May 11-13 at 7:30 p.m.

One student, Brooke Cross, sophomore elementary education major, recounted her experience preparing for Spring Dance Concert as a positive one.

鈥淚t was fun right away. I really enjoy learning choreography. Technique is good in dance classes, but I miss the whole learning a dance, performing it, having the lighting and costuming – everything like that is just really fun,鈥� said Cross.

Cross is performing in two pieces, which has kept her swamped since the first auditions in January.

鈥淚鈥檓 performing in a faculty piece done by Sharon Oberst. It鈥檚 a tap number and it鈥檚 done to three box songs. One is a minuet, one is a rondo and one is badinerie. We wear tuxedos and it鈥檚 very fun,鈥� said Cross. 鈥淭he other one, I鈥檓 in a student piece by Jordan Daniels called 鈥楾he Place That Never Changes,鈥� she鈥檚 basing it off of a story about her grandparents house, a special place for her.鈥�

The 12 dances each incorporate the different styles of the choreographers, and each dancer brings their own unique style to it as well. Coming from a dance team background, student dancer Jesse Johnson, first-year undeclared, expressed that working on these dances has been a much different experience than anything she鈥檚 done before.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not dance team, so staging and where your formation is doesn鈥檛 really matter necessarily,鈥� said Johnson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about the big overall movement, it鈥檚 about the little cool things that you get to do because you only have around eight people. Creatively you can do so much.鈥�

The Spring Dance Concert auditions were open for any Western student, so the performance is filled with both dance students and students who just love to dance.

鈥淚t鈥檚 cool to see everyone from different dance backgrounds come and do a piece that a student choreographed. It鈥檚 really cool to be in something like this,鈥� said Johnson.

Johnson is also performing in two dances, both of them student-choreographed.

鈥淥ne of them is Caitlin Rose鈥檚 piece 鈥楶rimordial Awakening.鈥� It鈥檚 kind of a druid dance. There are two main people and we fight until the end, until we come together. It鈥檚 powerful and really cool. It鈥檚 more ballet heavy, which isn鈥檛 my forte, but I really like the music, it鈥檚 very tribal,鈥� recounted Johnson. 鈥淚鈥檓 also really excited for Brittany Hortert鈥檚 piece 鈥業ncognito.鈥� We鈥檙e pretty much running away from something the whole time. We wear sunglasses and a jacket, we look like spies the whole time. We get to play around with character and facial expressions, it鈥檚 just a lot of fun.鈥�

Johnson also expressed her excitement for seeing some of the other dances in the Spring Dance Concert that will be performed alongside hers.

鈥淭here鈥檚 one piece that I鈥檓 particularly interested in watching called 鈥楴asty Woman.鈥� It鈥檚 a solo piece and the way [Hayleyann Evers] has recorded some choreography ahead of time and will put that out as she dances to music is going to be one that I really want to see. It pertains to what鈥檚 going on right now and that鈥檚 really cool,鈥� expressed Johnson.

Both Cross and Johnson are excited to put their hard work to the stage and to see the other dances that their fellow dancers have rehearsed.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to perform for the other students and the members of my family that are coming. I鈥檓 really proud of the dances that I鈥檓 in and I think they鈥檙e great,鈥� said Cross.

The Spring Dance Concert will run from May 11-13, beginning at 7:30 p.m. each night in Rice Auditorium. Tickets are available now for $12, or $7 with a Western I.D.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu