By Jen Lassen
Arts & Life Editor
Dance as an art form is often expressed by many but only truly captured by some. Fortunately, students at our university encapsulate this art form every single year.
One such moment is during the annual Choreographer’s Showcase. Today at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the Tustin Studio Theatre, come watch the Showcase directed by University students. Tickets are $5 and are on sale at the Campus Box Office, online and at the bookstore for guaranteed seating. There will be tickets at the door for any remaining available seats, but the shows are expected to sell out.
The showcase highlights various types of dance and is a culmination of efforts from many different groups on campus. A majority of the pieces represent the final works of students enrolled in DANC 262: Dance Composition. The show also includes performances by the participants of the Chinese Watersleeves, Modern I and Jazz I technique classes, as well as student groups including Irish Step and The Bisonettes.
“It has been exciting to see how the diverse array of personalities and styles of the students in the class are reflected in their individual pieces,” said Dana Chernock ’12, a dance minor and co-director of the showcase. “The show is very collaborative and highlights the sense of community that runs through the Department of Theatre and Dance. Many of the choreographers are also dancing in their peers’ pieces, so they experience both sides of the creative process and are able to support one another along the way.”
“The showcases each semester have a variety of styles and ideas, but what makes the spring Choreographer’s Showcase great is that the choreographers from the dance composition class are getting to explore their own personal movement, many of them for the first time. It’s good to see the final product of their learning process and all the creativity they bring,” said co-director Erin Ilic ’12, also a dance minor.
This performance will showcase the variety of talents offered in our University’s dance program, everything from Irish step dancing to modern jazz. Associate professor of dance Kelly Knox said the showcase is “a dynamic journey through the gamut of dance.”
“We have a large, fantastic group of dedicated and talented dancers who work hard and are extremely supportive of one another. Each one of them has their own style and strengths, and by working so well together they make each other better dancers and make for a great show,” Ilic said.