Students create and develop Fall Senior Dance Concert program

The Fall Senior Dance Concert, "Immerse," will take place on Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 and 9 p.m., with a matinee on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. in the Shirley Wimmer Dance Theater in Putnam Hall. The concert is the culminating project for senior BFA Dance Performance and Choreography majors. 

Throughout fall semester, 13 seniors collaborated to plan and produce the concert during their senior capstone course, while each choreographing new, original dance works that immerse audience members in unique worlds and perspectives.

Tickets are $14 for general admission and free to Ohio University students with a valid OHIO ID. General admission can be purchased on the ticketing website or at-the-door, while free student tickets can only be reserved at-the-door prior to each show.

Each show presents a unique performance order, with talkback sessions immediately following the Saturday at 7 p.m. performance and the Sunday at 1 p.m. performance. 

Learn more about each of the choreographed pieces below:

Emily Pierce’s newest solo work, "you would let loose your longing," reminisces on the kinesthetic and emotional imprints of the homoerotic, queer love and desire. Informed by one of Sappho’s legendary poems, the spatial parameters of a closet, and the delicate melodies of Marisa Anderson and Tara Jane O’Neil’s “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home to,” Pierce articulates the fine lines between safekeeping and sharing these personal imprints.

"Cabin Fever" is a group work choreographed by Abby Bowman that explores the idea of layering bodies. Utilizing the sensations of settling and sinking into another body, the dancers move in and out of the cohesive group. The music “Snow” by Fabrizio Paterlini allows space for the audience to transcend into a new state.

"All the time in the world" is a solo work choreographed by Nicole Peterman that demonstrates the personal exploration of risk-taking and falling into new movement discoveries. The piece dives into a reflective state as an hourglass remains on stage, representing the tensity of running out of time. This solo is accompanied by the sound “Three Preludes for Marimba - N.3 C major” by Ney Rosauro.

"An Embrace Takes Time and Space" is Lee Peters’ latest solo piece, exploring the journey of self-acceptance. It is accompanied by “In Motion'' by Michael Wall. The transitions between jagged, shaking movements to smooth, calm ones are meant to showcase the highs and lows of this journey.

"Lethal’s Catwalk" is the newest group work choreographed by Jordan Jackson. This piece is inspired by the fashion and media industry. Concepts of stoic energy as well as sharp movements are explored and generated through imagery of runway shows.  The sound “DKNY Spring 2017 Runway Show Set” by Twin Shadow influences the dancers’ textures and rhythmic meticulousness.

Michaela Verrico’s latest group work titled "Vitality," is set to “Electric Pow Wow Drum” by The Halluci Nation. It is a piece intending to exhibit elements of the great power and strength that comes within a unified group of women. The incorporation of unison phrase work, frontal facing formations, and unique partnering movements along with intense lifts, conveys a sense of reliance upon the group and showcases the technical and artistic strength within the cast members while moving together as one united force.

"shemA," is a group work choreographed by Ania Fuller. Inspired by heels, twerk, African, and modern movement styles. This piece patiently explores becoming expansive by nature, confidently, and uncomfortably finding comfort. Dancers take on a sensual, bold and confident aura making space with each step. Fuller explores her relationship between new and old self while dancers move on and through the musicality.

Micaiah Clouse’s latest group work is titled "Can I tell you a story?" This collaborative work is an exploration into a collective experience of storytelling disregarding formal conventions of linearity. As the cast moves through one another’s accounts, the stories present themselves out of chronological order as a series of snapshots. The original sound score by RJ Martin invites the audience to traverse this patchwork narrative as the dancers explore the shifting world around them.

"Determined to be…" is a solo work choreographed by Emily Bryan and explores the idea of a relationship and longing for someone through a space where no one is actually there. The movement demonstrates interloping between one’s self and the ground. A weight motif with heavy breath is also shared in the space. "Determined to be…" is accompanied by the sound “Flugelhorn” by Paul Mottram and Patrick Hawes, to which it helps push a calming energy into oneself.

"As Our Paths Cross," choreographed by Cristina LaRocca is a work that explores the human experience of relationships and the habits that lie within our connections with others. Attachment and detachment are demonstrated through proximity and physical touch and the phrase work melts together and apart to further reflect the complexity of the concept. "As Our Paths Cross" is accompanied by “Holding Hands” by The Magic Lantern and “Silverpoint” by Nadje Noordhuis.

Emma Prochaska’s latest solo work, "Sugar Rush," is an immersive exploration around navigating one’s inner child as years pass by. With a big pair of pants and kaleidoscopic lighting, this set design invites the audience to join a playroom that soon shifts into adulthood. Accompanied by AGF and Yutaka Hirose, the premise of this piece becomes two toned. A space of innocence transforms into a space of loss.

"Liquid TV In The AfterNoon," choreographed by Hannah Grubb, is a group work that explores one’s daily routine and the methods of breaking out of the mundane. The piece showcases the drop in and out of the pedestrian and performative, as well as the manipulation of time. "Liquid TV In The AfterNoon" is accompanied by “The Solo” by Michael Wall.

"Indelibly textured" investigates the pinching aches of grief and its longevity in the muscles, organs, and even bones. The choreographer, Maegan Wasaff, questions the solitude of shielding others from seeing one’s lived body that is inked in love, letting go, and desperately holding on. This theme is explored through the concept of pushing deeply embedded experiences to the surface. The beginning portion, accompanied by “Last Call” by Tex Crick, delves into the ignorant feelings of bliss when holding on. Finally, a new article of clothing is introduced eliciting a deep ache of comforting pain. This portrayal of tension is accompanied by “Eyes on the Menace” by G.S. Schray. The entirety of the solo exploration demonstrates controlled vulnerability between the external walls and internal scars of settled grief.