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Alumna Jenny Showalter was an artist-in-residence for Western Illinois University dance classes and University Dance Theatre.
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Artist-in-Residence Jenny Showalter, an alumna, works on positioning with a dancer.
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UDT's Spring Gala Dance Concert Through May 2; Hainline Theatre

April 30, 2009

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MACOMB, IL - - A Western Illinois University dance alumna has set a dance on members of Western's highly-lauded University Dance Theatre (UDT), which is performing its Spring Gala Dance Concert nightly from Thursday, April 30 through Saturday, May 2 in the Hainline Theatre, located on Western Avenue at Murray Street (Dr. C.T. Vivian Way). Curtain time is 7:30 p.m.

Jenny Showalter, a 2004 graduate in kinesiology with an option in exercise science and a minor in dance, returned to her alma mater as an artist-in-residence this spring, teaching dance and technique classes as well as setting the dance "Tres Conversas" on the University Dance Theatre dancers.

Originally from Aurora (IL) - - her parents Jan and Kurt Showalter reside in Aurora - - she took a year off after graduating from Western and worked as a personal trainer, taught dance and coached gymnastics for children. Gymnastics was where Showalter excelled as a youngster and teenager, competing in three national championships in seven years. She started dancing at Western; but because she had so much choreography experience from gymnastics, she was a choreographer for UDT each of her four years.

"Candace (Winters-March) and Heidi (Clemmens) made me fall in love and dance through their enjoyment and spirit," Showalter said. "They pulled me right in; and they gave me a lot of opportunities."

Showalter (www.jennyshowalter.com) entered The College at Brockport (NY) three-year master of fine arts in dance program, which she completed in May 2008. Now living in New York City, Showalter looks for choreography work while she still teaches Pilates and works as a personal trainer. Her dance and choreography has been shown at and commissioned for a variety of venues including the American College Dance Festival, Dance Chicago, Lincoln College, Oklahoma Contemporary Dance Festival, Image Movement Sound, Heidelberg Music Festival and Vision of Sound touring concerts.

The seven-minute 10-dancer modern dance she choreographed for the UDT dancers is set to Brazilian music and is an uplifting dance, Showalter said of the concert's final number.

Western's choreographers include sophomore art major Andra Meiners (Dixon, IL) with a peaceful dance for four titled "Beautiful Distractions"; senior Matthew Wyss (Plainfield, IL), a communication major with minors in dance and theatre, a dance of joy and love titled "All One Needs"; senior Kate Habben (Homewood, IL), a philosophy major, with three pieces titled "Ohne," a sentimental dance; "I Lift My Eyes and All is Born Again," a modern piece of awakening; and "Machiavelli," a haughty, competitive dance;

senior Lily Blouin (Anchorage, AK), a musical theatre major, "Crowd Control," silly and abstract; sophomore Samantha "Sammy" Sowa (South Elgin, IL), general studies and a dance minor, "Speeding Cars," which was previously choreographed by Hanna Bricston, a principal dancer in the River North Dance Company, performed by UDT with permission;

senior Kelsey McCausland (O'Fallon, IL), a kinesiology major and dance minor, "An Act of Nature," creepy and eerie; senior Kelly Lohrenz (Lincoln, IL), a musical theatre major, "Without," feeling alone and defeated; junior Kelsey Reed (Quincy, IL), a communication major and dance minor, "Now What it Seems," dream versus reality;

sophomore Alexandra "Alex" Palkovic (Peoria, IL) and MFA theatre student Ashlee Edgemon (Greenwood, IN), "Fallsee or Fallsee?"; junior Margaret "Maggie" Bouslog (Princeton, IL), "Durchtanzen," supporting others in your own hard times; sophomore Keri Dahm (Hanover Park, IL), psychology major and dance minor, "All is Violent, All is Bright," dance through tough times; and

Clemmens, an associate professor of dance and co-artistic director of University Dance Theatre, "It's Really Mine," a collaborative dance with Bridgeway, Inc., of Macomb and UDT.

Tickets, $15, are available at the door. Please note that service fees may change the ticket price.

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