University News

WIU Spring Gala Dance Concert April 30 and May 1-2

April 27, 2015

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MACOMB, IL - Western Illinois University's annual Spring Gala Dance Concert will offer an evening of dance, choreographed by students and instructors from the University Dance Theatre (UDT), at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30 and Friday-Saturday, May 1-2, in Hainline Theatre.

Each evening's performances will incorporate a variety of dance styles, including modern/contemporary, jazz and Afro-modern. In this concert, two guest artists, three faculty and three student pieces will be featured.

Professor of Dance Candace Winters-March, co-artistic director/advisor of UDT will present two pieces. "Mobilology" is a satirical movement exploration that plays with notions of cell phone use, and being disconnectedly "connected" in our contemporary culture.

Winters-March and Daniel Chapman, WIU assistant professor of lighting design, collaborated on this project incorporating 3-D lighting projections. Chapman has designed a software program to run these projections. This will be the last piece set on University Dance Theatre for Winters-March as a WIU faculty member, as she will retire in May.

"Tethered," a duet that was choreographed by Winters-March in 1999, and chosen to be in the ACDA National Gala in 2000, will be performed by alumna Christina Gustaitis and alumna Jenny Showalter.

Associate Professor of Dance Heidi Clemmens, who is co-artistic director of UDT, will present her piece "Into the Light." This piece is a collaborative project between Bridgeway, Inc. and University Dance Theatre, which has a 22-year history.

Brian Jeffrey, who was a guest artist at WIU in 1995, was asked to set another piece this year. He has served on the faculty at Northwestern University, Columbia College Chicago and the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, along with numerous residencies and guest lecturer appearances. Jeffrey was also the artistic director of Chicago's XSIGHT! Performance Group for 15 years. Currently, an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at University of Alaska-Anchorage, Jeffrey has set a piece on seven dancers entitled "Gravity Amplified."

Mo Miner is currently a modern dance teacher, performer and choreographer in the San Francisco Bay area. She is an alumna of WIU and UDT, graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2000. She also holds an MFA in dance performance from the University of Iowa, graduating in 2005.

Miner is a founding member of Mid to West Dance Collective, and has performed with Jennifer Kayle and Company, Shelter Repertory Dance Theater, Nina Haft & Company and Bandaloop, among others. She was an assistant professor of dance at Illinois State University and currently teaches classes at the University of San Francisco and UC Berkeley. For UDT, she has set a duet entitled "Where We Left Off," which premiered at the University of Iowa in 2003.

Jenny Showalter is another alumnus of Western and UDT. She holds a bachelor's degree in physical education - exercise science and an MFA in dance choreography and performance from State University of New York - Brockport. Now the co-artistic director of Treeline Dance Works, Showalter has held visiting professor positions at Arizona State University, Scottsdale Community College, Ball State University, Grand Canyon University, Glendale Community College and others.

Showalter has been a member of the Bill Evans Dance Company and been involved in many guest artist residencies, with her work being presented across the U.S. and internationally.

Student choreographers include the following:

• WIU seniors Jessica Baker, a marketing major from Coralville, IA, and Nikki Sangiacomo, a physical education major from Villa Park, IL, the choreographers of "Burlesque," present a powerful jazz dance with a show-girl feel incorporating the use of chairs.

• Senior Carissa Jurczyk, an exercise science major from Deer Park, IL, and choreographer of "Perfection," a contemporary piece about fighting the need to be perfect and overcoming hardships.

• Senior Shannon Phillips, a political science major from Macomb and choreographer of "Unflappable Pandemonium," infuses modern and African dance for an upbeat piece about structured chaos.

An informal showcase will be held in Hainline Theatre at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 2. The event is open free to the public. Along with works from the Composition I class at Western, the following student works will be featured:

• Sophomore Lauren Marchetto, an elementary education major from Glenview, IL, has set a trio entitled "Amicizia," a contemporary piece about true friends.

• Sophomore Aryana Snyder, an elementary education major from Davenport, IA, has set a piece of six dancers entitled "Fortitudine," a powerful contemporary jazz piece with a Latin feel about inner strength.

• Senior Jordyn Wofford, a musical theatre major from St. Peters, MO, has choreographed "Making a Connection," a contemporary piece about a true connection and remembering the joy and love a special connection with someone can affect your life.

• Sophomore Madelyn Lego, a musical theatre major of Columbus, IN, has choreographed "Latido del Corazón," a tap piece about the joy that rhythm brings into our lives.

Members of University Dance Theatre that will be performing in these concerts include:
Andrea Abarca, Jessica Baker, Hollyn Beans, Astoncia Bhagat, Jordan Davis, Michela DeBartolo, Marrisha Devereueawax-Coates, Anna Diekemper, Katarina Dutra, Shannon Fields, LeeAnn Gorecki, Molly Hall, Karly Hillyer, Carissa Jurczyk, Madelyn Lego, Autumn Loose, Lauren Marchetto, Chloe Mimms, Shannon Phillips, Nikki Sangiacomo, Aryana Snyder, Kristen Snyder, Bryce Speaker, Jessie Wilson and Jordyn Wofford.

Tickets, $15 for the public, $13 for seniors, youth or WIU employees and free to WIU students with valid student identification, are available through the Hainline Box Office at (309) 298-2900, from noon – 5 p.m. weekdays, or online at wiu.edu/cofac/college/event_tickets.php.

For more information, contact the Theatre and Dance department at (309) 298-1543.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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