The School of Dance students held an audition two weeks age to determine the program for the two performances of the Student Choice Concert this week. From the BFA I class to the BFA IV's, students are contributing to all aspects of this first production of the Spring Semester. If you'd like to attend this concert in the Lund Theater either Thursday, February 12 or Friday, February 13 at 7pm, please click here to reserve a seat.
The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance welcomed Seattle-based choreographer, Pat Graney, on campus to audition our BFA IV students. She cast eleven women for her remount of "Faith (excerpt)" that will be performed in the Spring Dance Concert, Program B presenting the Next Dance Company this May on the CalArts campus and REDCAT. Ms. Graney will participate in a week-long residency on campus in March as part of her 2008 Herb Alpert Award in Choreography, where she will rehearse the piece with the students daily.
The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance will present Winter Dance Concert in the Modular Theater at CalArts, December 9 - 12 @ 8:00 pm.
A Pick Up Performance Co(S.) Production in collaboration with the Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance presents: "Trying Times (remembered)" written and choreographed by David Gordon at REDCAT (Dec. 3-6 @ 8:30 pm and Dec. 7 @ 3:00 pm) and Dance Theater Workshop, NYC. (Dec. 11-13 and 16-20 @ 7:30 pm).
The performances feature original cast members: Valda Setterfield and Karen Graham with Leslie Cuyjet, Niall Jones and CalArts alumni Marcus Phillips and CalArts students: Rachel Abrahams, Kelsey Boone, Melissa Bourkas,Nick Bruder, Cameron Evans, Shirel Hernandez, Erika Marosi and Jason Williams.
Trying Times (remembered) by David Gordon was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts' American Masterpieces: Dance, College Component initiative administered by Dance/USA in partnership with the New England Foundation for the Arts.
The Open House Concert is under way this week. This is the first concert of the semester where BFA works are being produced. The program also presents work from each of the new MFA I candidates. The performances will be held Thursday, October 16 and Friday October 17 at 7pm. Seats can be reserved online at www.calarts.edu/events. Please come and enjoy this two hour concert of new works from our esteemed students.
The School of Dance welcomes Los Angeles based choreographers and dance companies to perform works in two concerts this Thursday and Friday at 8pm in the Lund Theater. This is a free event and reservations can be made at 661-291-3046. We welcome Lionel Popkin, Oni Dance directed by Maria Gillespie, Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company directed by Kate Hutter, Meg Wolfe, and dynamic duo casebolt and smith. Each of these artists will teach a master class during this week, to further expose our students to professional local artists in the studio.
Next week the School of Dance Faculty will begin its first of several tours to the top performing arts high schools around the country. They are aided by our new Admissions Counselor, Zari Wigfall, an alum of the BFA program in the School of Dance, 2003. She re-joined the community this June, and will travel alongside the faculty as hundreds of students attend master class auditions.
Faculty member, Mitchell Rose, is an acclaimed Film Maker and Dance Maker, and Dance on Film Maker. He brings his acclaimed production, The Mitch Show, to the CalArts campus in a special viewing for students and colleagues. The show was presented by CalArts earlier this year in February at the REDCAT. This interactive show brings humor, dance, and film into the Lund Theater in a unique blend. The School of Dance strives to expose its students to ground breaking art, interdisciplinary and multi-media events. The Dance School is thankful to have Mitchell on its faculty and to bring this work to its theater.
The Dean of the School of Dance, Stephan Koplowitz, attended the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD) Twenty-Eighth Annual Meeting in Minneapolis this weekend. The CalArts Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance is proud to be part of the 65 schools of dance that are accredited by this national agency. The main role of this organization is to assure quality programs, evaluate curriculums, and uphold high standards in performing arts education. By attending these conferences, the School of Dance is able to maintain the dialogue with other fine institutions about dance resources, teaching methodologies, and issues of evaluation and perspective faced by performing arts programs, as well as how to maintain the standards of excellence for which this program is known.
The Winter Dance Concert is the fully produced concert of the Fall Semester. This Winter Dance in particular, marks the return of the School of Dance to the Modular Theater, where this show will be performed. All BFA I, II, and II students have the opportunity to audition for the concert. This year's choreographers are all faculty members, including Andre Tyson, Colin Connor, Rosanna Gamson, Laurence Blake, and Stephanie Nugent. No matter how sore students will be from their first week back into the intensive technique offered here at the Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance, they will certainly be footing their best foot forward. Working with the faculty offers many opportunities for development in technical skill, creative engagement, and personal growth.
