UW-W dance organization showcases choreography

Broadway style tap featured on campus

UW-W dance organization showcases choreography

Kaarin Lorum, Staff Reporter

The Emerging Choreographers Concert (ECC) consists of both dancers and non-dancers alike, creating a showcase that is full of entertaining and show-stopping material.

ECC was organized by UW-W Dance Co., a student organization run under adviser Barbara Grubel.

Involved in this year’s showcase includes over 15 choreographic works in differing styles. All of these pieces were created within the month of April, and each choreographic piece was only allotted four/five rehearsals. ECC is a fast-paced dance showcase organized shortly after the theatre/dance department’s annual DanceScapes. This was put together under the direction of UWW Dance Co.’s adviser and leader of the organization.

Natalie Ford, president of UWW Dance Co., took a large role in the creation of the Emerging Choreographers Concert. Along with assistance from other board members, she found a stage manager and decided which choreographic pieces would be performed and who on the board was in charge of certain aspects of the show.

Aside from these tasks, there is also advertisement, booking spaces for rehearsals and stage-setting.

Abigail Levin assisted Ford in creating the concert. Levin created posters, the t-shirt design, ran the Facebook page, printed and created the programs and covered overall publicity.

“You can see all the work the board put into ECC, especially Natalie. It turned out well overall,” junior Kayla Weidner said. Weidner is an elementary education major with English and dance minors. This year, she choreographed a tap piece, and she found that it differed in comparison to previous ECC tap pieces.

“The tap in previous years was rhythm tap, and it differed greatly,” Weidner explained. Rhythm tap very much plays into the beat and music. Mine was a Broadway style tap. I had to focus more on certain things like arms, but I found that everyone involved in my piece was up for the challenge.”

Weidner found that there was also a lot of variation in people as she cast her group. “[There was] a variety of ages and experience. I saw their movement develop in such a short amount of time,” Weidner said.

The Emerging Choreographers Concert was performed May 3 and 4 at 7 p.m. It was a free concert for family, friends and anyone to enjoy.