Students show off dance creativity
Mason Gross presents the DancePlus Spring concert choreographed by faculty
Anita Yadavalli / Contributing Writer
Issue date: 3/5/07 Section: University
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Mason Gross School of the Arts' dance department premiered "12 Hands, 12 Feet" Thursday at the DancePlus spring concert in the Mason Gross Performing Arts Center's New Theater on Douglass campus.
The faculty - Randy James, John Evans, Julia Ritter and Robert Benford - made sure the dancers knew the work so well audience members were unable to detect any errors.
James, an associate professor at Mason Gross said he knew the shows would all go well because the students have done the work beforehand.
The concert began as six women stomped and clapped out a rhythm accompanied by Benford, a percussionist and composer.
Getting the rhythm down was the hardest part, Mason Gross junior Michelle Puskas said.
"The grueling training began last semester when we took a rhythmic analysis course in which we learned how to stomp and clap a beat out," Puskas said.
"Bracken Obscures My View," another premier, debuted with choreography by Julia Ritter, associate professor of dance at Mason Gross.
Though Ritter structured the piece, the students choreographed the dance largely, with corrections and guidance from the professor, Mason Gross sophomore Stacie Shivers said.
Each student was asked to improvise on fast, sharp or smooth, tense rhythms, which Ritter then collaborated into coherent movements that described an eclipse during which celestial bodies cover the earth, Shivers said.
One action apparent not only throughout "Bracken Obscures My View," but also the rest of the concert, was loud breathing.
During silent phrases without music, breathing out loud allows cues to be delivered and the body to recover, Shivers said.
James choreographed the next dance, called "Susie & Swoozie's Soiree."
"Randy uses a completely different style where nothing is ever the same," Shivers said. "The pieces are derived from life experiences with which he mixes comedy."
The concept behind the 1994 piece was James' childhood, memories that consisted primarily of his drunken father, who nonchalantly entertained women before his son.
In preparation for the show, dancers attended rehearsals each week, after which they maintained their fitness at the gym, Mason Gross senior Dana Prieto said.
The auditions for the show began the second week of the fall semester, after which dancers began training once a week during the fall semester and twice a week for two hours during the spring semester.
Nevertheless, the intense training is what enables them to perform well, Shivers said, as Mason Gross stresses the importance of a strong core, or midsection, which allows one to maintain balance and breathe freely.
They train them to become professionals - but with a slightly different definition.
"Professional is not if you get paid, it is a state of mind," James said.
The faculty - Randy James, John Evans, Julia Ritter and Robert Benford - made sure the dancers knew the work so well audience members were unable to detect any errors.
James, an associate professor at Mason Gross said he knew the shows would all go well because the students have done the work beforehand.
The concert began as six women stomped and clapped out a rhythm accompanied by Benford, a percussionist and composer.
Getting the rhythm down was the hardest part, Mason Gross junior Michelle Puskas said.
"The grueling training began last semester when we took a rhythmic analysis course in which we learned how to stomp and clap a beat out," Puskas said.
"Bracken Obscures My View," another premier, debuted with choreography by Julia Ritter, associate professor of dance at Mason Gross.
Though Ritter structured the piece, the students choreographed the dance largely, with corrections and guidance from the professor, Mason Gross sophomore Stacie Shivers said.
Each student was asked to improvise on fast, sharp or smooth, tense rhythms, which Ritter then collaborated into coherent movements that described an eclipse during which celestial bodies cover the earth, Shivers said.
One action apparent not only throughout "Bracken Obscures My View," but also the rest of the concert, was loud breathing.
During silent phrases without music, breathing out loud allows cues to be delivered and the body to recover, Shivers said.
James choreographed the next dance, called "Susie & Swoozie's Soiree."
"Randy uses a completely different style where nothing is ever the same," Shivers said. "The pieces are derived from life experiences with which he mixes comedy."
The concept behind the 1994 piece was James' childhood, memories that consisted primarily of his drunken father, who nonchalantly entertained women before his son.
In preparation for the show, dancers attended rehearsals each week, after which they maintained their fitness at the gym, Mason Gross senior Dana Prieto said.
The auditions for the show began the second week of the fall semester, after which dancers began training once a week during the fall semester and twice a week for two hours during the spring semester.
Nevertheless, the intense training is what enables them to perform well, Shivers said, as Mason Gross stresses the importance of a strong core, or midsection, which allows one to maintain balance and breathe freely.
They train them to become professionals - but with a slightly different definition.
"Professional is not if you get paid, it is a state of mind," James said.