By Hilary Igl
DanceScapes’15 will feature a “machine” made of seven dancers.
DanceScapes is an annual spring dance performance produced by students and faculty that exhibit the skills and talents students have acquired through their years of dancing. Performances will be held March 15 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and March 16-17 at 7:30 p.m.
“My piece is about a machine and individuals who leave the machine. The machine can’t work when every single part isn’t in the right place,” said senior choreograher Aislinn Poe. “The first person leaves and then the machine breaks – it gets stuck. Throughout the piece, they’re trying to make that machine over and over and over again.”
Poe has been a dancer for 18 years and she has been involved with DanceScapes since her freshman year. She said this year’s show will be rather entertaining.
“I think that anyone can enjoy it – not just people who dance or know about dance,” Poe said.
Dance students who desire to choreograph apply to DanceScapes early in the fall semester. After they have applied, they begin putting a piece together with auditioned and selected student dancers.
In December, they enter an adjudication process. This year there were originally 15 student pieces that auditioned, seven of which were chosen to perform in the spring show.
Once student choreographed shows are chosen, student lighting and costume designers become involved to help finalize the pieces.
While it isn’t required, student choreographers are encouraged to take at least two solo composition classes before they apply to direct their own piece. Students at any talent level are able to audition to dance.
For Poe, telling a story through dance is what keeps her passion for the artistic expression alive. This year as a student choreographer, she tells a story based off a solo she created for the solo composition class last year.
Amy Slater, first-year artistic director of DanceScapes, said audience members can anticipate a “wide range of dance styles and perspectives” from faculty, guest artists and students.
“They can expect to see very emotionally based pieces, as well as much more cerebral, intellectually based pieces,” Slater said. “[Some are] more about movement for movement’s sake and patterns that can be created on the stage without a lot of emotion attached.”
The majority of the performances will be contemporary or modern based dance.
This year’s featured guest artist is Onye Ozuzu, chair and a professor of dance at Columbia College Chicago. Ozuzu’s piece will exhibit African-based contemporary dance technique.
Slater said she hopes to see students, faculty and the community at the event.
“This is a professional performance experience for both the dance minor students as well as for the UW-W and greater community in general to enjoy as well,” Slater said.
For ticket prices or more information about DanceScapes’15 visit:
uww.edu/cac/theatre-dance/dancescapes-15
