By Courtney Bottazi
Writer
The seven pieces in this year’s Fall Concert by the Bucknell Dance Company (BDC) will have you completely transfixed. The costumes, lighting and sets are breathtakingly beautiful. Stunning silhouettes disappear to reveal costumes that are as graceful as the dancers performing in them. It is the dancers, however, that are truly captivating. The choreography spans from pieces that urge you to take a second look at the program’s descriptions to pieces that have you swooning with familiarity. Each number is executed with such professional precision that you can only gawk at the reminder that the dancers on stage are also full-time students.
It is clear throughout the pieces that these diligent performers have grown as a company into a family.
“It’s competitive, it’s an honor to be a part of the Bucknell Dance Company. I wanted to have a family bond. We create a tight-knit community of dancers that stick together for as long as we are a part of the company. We really get to know each other and become close,” Alyssa Henningsen ’14 said.
One of the ways in which the Fall Concert differs from the Choreographer’s Showcase, which took place in November, is the amount of time spent on each dance number.
“The Bucknell Dance Company is much more of a commitment. We try to make longer, more substantial works that are created over the entire semester versus over a shorter amount of time,” said Kelly Knox, associate professor of theatre and dance and advisor of the BDC.
Two student choreographers, Kourtney Ginn ’12 and Anna Loveys ’13, have their own pieces. The BDC also brought in guest choreographer Jon Lehrer, who owns his own professional dance company in Buffalo, N.Y. Lehrer focuses on organic athleticism, which is the concept of using the entire body in dance to achieve a full workout relying on momentum rather than muscle.
One particularly exciting piece is the last number of the show, which is a theatre-dance piece by assistant professor Dustyn Martincich. “Lone Windows” will begin to move the audience from the first second of the performance and refuses to let up.
“Lone Windows is a one-act, narrative dance work inspired by selected paintings of Edward Hopper and short fiction by Joseph Scapellato. With the help of scenic designer Elaine Williams, costume designers Paula Davis and Sydney de Briel and lighting designer Heath Hansum, audiences witness a world of isolated characters, mid-motion, caught in thought. It’s a rhythmic and theatrical piece with music from artists ranging from Abbey Lincoln and Anita O’Day to Andrew Bird and Penguin Cafe Orchestra,” Martincich said.
“The interdisciplinary and collaborative process evolved from a work that premiered while I was on leave in Chicago last spring. It reflects on how the human condition manifests in the convergence of time—reflections of our past and visions of our future merge, erupting in a present moment, at any moment,” she said.
It is incredible that such a performance can be accessed right on the edge of our academic quad.
“Students should support the arts on campus. [The Fall Concert] is cheap, but it’s a professional show. We should come support peers and faculty. There are a lot of interesting pieces,” Henningsen said.
“We’re really excited about the show. We’ve worked hard on it all semester and we think that the campus and community will really enjoy what we’ve put together,” said Amanda Kelleman ’14.
The fall concert is Dec. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. in the Harvey Powers Theatre. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for others.