Spring Dance Concert features works by students and professional choreographers

Four Randolph College seniors spent much of their time this semester perfecting the spins, leaps and music selections for dances they have choreographed for the 2014 Spring Dance Concert.

Unlike the fall showcase, which features solely student work, the Spring Dance Concert is an opportunity for graduating seniors to show their choreography next to dances created by professionals.

“We have been preparing for this concert since the beginning of the fall semester,” said Lauren Boegert ’14. “It is both terrifying and exciting because our choreography goes up against professional work.”

This concert features pieces choreographed by professional choreographers such as Takehiro Ueyama, the director of Take Dance; Lori Belilove, director of the Isadora Dance Company; Walter Kennedy; and Randolph dance faculty in addition to the works choreographed by seniors majoring in dance.

Boergert created her piece, titled “Uninhibited,” to convey a sense of openness, vulnerability, and taking chances. “I struggle with openness and wanted to choreograph a piece about something difficult,” she said. “I thought it would be a good challenge.”

Beginning dancing when she was three, Boergert always favored ballet and did not have experience with modern dance. Her focus changed as she gained experience with modern dance at Randolph. “I like to think of myself as a modern dancer after my four years here. I don’t hide behind my technique as much,” said Boergert.

Senior dance major Chloe Tong said that she is most proud of being able to look at her choreography for the Spring Dance Concert and say, “I made that.” Her dance for the Spring Concert, “Everything Happens for a Reason”, focuses on how families act as one working unit.

Samantha Suzuki ’14, another senior earning her BFA in dance, choreographed the dance “M.A.D” for the Spring Dance Concert.

Suzuki’s piece is inspired by the poem “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost. “I am most proud of the fact I was able to overcome my fears of choreography for male dancers,” she said. “In years past I have shied away from choreographing for male dancers because it felt very different and unnatural for me. The fact my first section movement looks strong and masculine and still has my aesthetic vibe to it makes me very proud.”

Angelina Carilli ’14 choreographed the dance “An Affected Mind” for the concert. The dance depicts the way drugs affect people’s minds.

The Spring Dance Concert will feature a total of 12 dances, individually crafted by 11 different choreographers.

The Spring Dance Concert will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday–Friday in Smith Hall Theater. General admission is $8, student admission is $4 and children 12 and under can attend for free.

Spring Dance Concert to feature student and visiting artist choreography

The beauty of sign language will find a place on the stage this week during Randolph College’s annual Spring Dance Concert.

Kathryn Old ’13 choreographed “Natural Communication” with movements inspired by American Sign Language, which she began learning when she babysat a deaf child for a family she knows.  “I wanted to show the importance of dance as expression and also the beauty of being hearing impaired and using sign language,” said Old.

Photo by Andrew Wilds

This is one of several dance pieces that students will showcase in the concert at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Students have been choreographing their own dances and mastering the work of visiting dance artists for more than a year in preparation for this concert.

Old is also quite excited to be performing in a piece by Takehiro “Take” Ueyama, the director of Take Dance in New York City who has been a visiting artist at Randolph for several years. The dance is Japanese inspired and technically quite difficult. “Take’s choreography is beautiful because it looks so effortless, but they are extremely challenging to dance,” Old said.

Working with the visiting artists such as Take is a very special component of the Randolph College dance program. It allows students exposure to dancers and choreographers who are currently working in the dance industry. Not only are they able to build close relationships with the visiting artists, but it is also a gateway to opportunities with other dance companies.

Martin Wiley will perform a solo dance choreographed by Kile
Hotchkiss in the Spring Dance Concert. Photo by Andrew Wilds.

Another senior choreographer highlighted in this dance concert is Martin Wiley ’13. Wiley has choreographed and casted a dance inspired by the elements earth, wind, fire, and water. “I enjoy choreography. The idea that I could create something and it would be appreciated was really fascinating to me,” said Wiley, “It is one of the things that has inspired me to go deeper in the field of dance.”

In addition to his own choreography, Wiley will perform in five other dances at the concert. Most notable is a solo piece choreographed by Kile Hotchkiss. Representing the struggles that one faces when coming in and out of a relationship, the dance is quite powerful. “It is set to a piano ballad. The music is simple, but it is offset by very dynamic movement,” said Wiley. “I think it will really affect some people in the audience.”

Wiley and Old each bring a different perspective and experience to dance. Wiley did not discover his passion for dance until he was at Randolph, when another student saw him dance at a party and invited him to perform in a piece she was choreographing. Old, however, has danced for most of her life and attended the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, Va., for high school, She had a very intensive pre-college career that involved dancing most days from lunchtime until late at night. Coming to Randolph allowed her to continue working hard to develop her talent while giving her a breath of fresh air. “The Dance Program here has felt like family,” she said. “It is very uplifting and encouraging.”

The Spring Dance Concert will start Thursday, April 4th and run through Saturday, April 6th. All performances begin at 8:00pm and are held in Smith Hall Theatre. Admission is $8 for general admission, $4 for students, and free for children under 12. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.lynchburgtickets.com/springdance.

Randolph College Annual Spring Dance Concert Dedicated to the Memory of Visiting Artist Rebecca Jung

The Randolph College Annual Spring Dance Concert kicks off a weekend of performances today. This longstanding tradition features choreography from Randolph students and visiting artists.

The performances will take place at 8 p.m. March 29-31 in Smith Hall Theatre in Smith Memorial Building. Admission is $8 for general admission, $4 for students, and children 12 and under are free.

This year’s concert is dedicated to the memory of visiting artist Rebecca Jung. Jung passed away on September 6, 2011, less than two weeks before her Randolph College residency was to begin. Jung was a frequent visiting artist at Randolph, and was scheduled to stage a work for this year’s Annual Concert. Her death from advanced cancer was devastating and shocking to the entire dance community, and Randolph’s students and faculty members wanted to honor her creativity, talent, and “exuberant zaniness.” The dances included in this year’s Concert celebrate life—its joys, moments of humor, fleeting images of strength, beauty, and pathos.

The 2012 Annual Spring Dance Concert will also feature a special tribute to Jung. The dancers will perform Takehiro Ueyama’s “Footsteps in the Snow,” a stunningly beautiful requiem that Ueyama says reflects on the poignant reality that “nothing is permanent, nothing’s immortal, but we are going to leave something behind.”

photo by Keith Thieneman