University Dancers to Perform Spring Concert Feb. 24-27 at University of Richmond
January 25, 2005
University of Richmond’s University Dancers will present their 20th annual spring concert, “Reflection: Then and Now,” Feb. 24–27 in the Alice Jepson Theatre of the Modlin Center for the Arts.
Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24, 25 and 26 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 27. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling the Modlin Center Box Office at (804) 289-8980.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of University Dancers, Myra Daleng, artistic director, invited alumni to choreograph, perform and design lighting. The theme will explore the group’s 20-year history, with many pieces from past years restaged. A gala Saturday night performance will include many alumni as performers and audience members.
The repertoire blends ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop and modern. Daleng has restaged “Here Comes the Sun,” and Anne Norman Van Gelder, assistant director of dance, has restaged “Rumors” with live music by The Taters, a Richmond-area Americana band. Daleng has also rechoreographed “Awaken the Spirits” with costumes by Susan Cologne.
Guest artist Michael Whitten and Daleng will perform a rousing tap piece to “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and Van Gelder and Norvell Robinson Jr. will perform a blues duet, “The Thrill is Gone” accompanied by The Taters.
Tap artist Barbara Duffy of New York, who spent six weeks on campus as Tucker Boatwright artist-in-residence, has created a tap quintet to the music of Christian McBride, while Gerri Houlihan, former dancer with Lar Lubovitch, has restaged her 1995 duet “Till the Cows Come Home” for students Lianna Owens and Jackie Knupp.
Richmond graduates Asha Prasad Goodner, Lynley Brokaw Ritchie, Gretchen Wagner, Jodie Applegate and Meredith McCanse will stage works for “Reflection.” Goodner’s, “Just Happy to be Here” is a look at baseball. New works by alumni include Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness,” choreographed by Wagner, a graduate of NYU’s dance program and adjunct instructor at the University of Kentucky, and “Almost Pedestrian,” choreographed by McCanse, who dances professionally in New York with Jeremy Nelson’s Dance Company. Ritchie, a dance teacher at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School in Petersburg, Va., is restaging “One Thing After Another” with music by Moby, and Applegate will recreate “Take Your Breath Away” with music by Koko Taylor.
Student works include a piece for 13 dancers by senior Lianna Owens and a quintet by Kim Urba. Brittany Nilson choreographed a piece to aboriginal music inspired by her study abroad in Australia. Dancers collaborated on “History Repeating,” the closing piece for all 21 dancers—a tribute to some of the great choreographers, including Jerome Robins and Bob Fosse.
Lighting will be created by alumnus Michael Jarett, who is pursuing a master of fine arts degree in lighting design at Brandeis University. Reed West, associate professor of theatre, is the technical director. Nancy Allen and Leslie Pope, director and assistant director of costume, respectively, have created costumes for five pieces. Student Julie Dauber will stage-manage.
For more information on the concert, contact Daleng at (804) 289-8314 or mdaleng@richmond.edu.