The day is here. The audience packs the theatre. Lights go up. Performers’ nervous energy fuels them as all of their hard work and dedication transforms an idea into a reality. A whirring buzz of commotion is nulled by the anticipation of the front curtain rise. Its heavy, pleated material pulled back to reveal the stage and all of its opulence. Posed, the dancers are no longer themselves. They are cogs in a finely tuned clockwork of flexion and extension, of rotation and direction. The sea of eyes in the auditorium are all fixated on the performance that is unfolding in front of them. Only what they are seeing is merely a snippet of what Dancescape really is. The process starts an entire year prior.
We’ve all heard the expression ‘It takes two to tango,’ but in this case it takes a much larger group of talented choreographers, dancers, technicians, costume designers and many more to produce a routine. Students interested in choreographing an original piece must submit a proposal in the spring semester of the prior year. This is only the beginning. From there they hold auditions in late August to handpick dancers. Student choreographers then meet with their performers for rehearsals that could last hours, sometimes rehearsing one on one with an individual performer.
These choreographers must work all year even outside of rehearsals to make sure the performance runs smoothly at the final performance. Both before and after winter break, the entire cast has run-throughs on a weekly basis. If you thought being a full time student was tough, these students have an entire performance to choreograph, as well as teach and organize all pieces to the puzzle. These dedicated artists must show leadership, patience and creativity throughout the entire process. So when you attend Dancescape on Feb. 18-20 & 27th, be sure to acknowledge strenuous process that goes into each performance. You most certainly won’t look at these artists the same way.
The event will feature the talents of multiple student choreographers, displaying a variety of dances including a salsa routine, a social dance routine, modern pieces and also theatrical pieces.
All Photo Credit: Doug Sundin