The dance faculty and students of the College of Charleston School of the Arts’ ever-expanding Department of Theatre and Dance are proud to present “Landmark,” their fifth annual dance concert from Saturday, March 16 through Monday, March 18, 2013. The academic year of 2012-2013 not only marks the birth of the new Bachelor of Arts in Dance degree but also the welcoming of four new adjunct dance faculty members, two milestones in the history of the program. The performance features both new pieces as well as re-staged works, with two of the seven choreographed by students of the new major.
“Landmark” will be held in the Emmett Robinson Theatre in the Simons Center for the Arts at 54 St. Philip Street. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Monday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for Senior Citizens and College of Charleston students, faculty and staff. For more information, please email oleksiakm@cofc.edu, or call (843) 953-5604.
Program Director Dr. Gretchen McLaine believes “Landmark” to be a testament of the ever-increasing growth, passion, and collaboration of the department’s students and faculty. An alliance of both dance and theatre students are responsible for the production of this year’s concert: all of the dancers, lighting, and costume designers for the performance are students of either the Dance or Theatre programs.
One performance will be Graduation Spring, a piece choreographed by senior Ashley Pittman that examines and explores issues close to the choreographer’s heart: Pittman’s piece considers the commencement of the human spirit from youth into a bright future as she anticipates graduation in May of this year. Another will be a re-staging of Doris Humphrey’s “Partita V in G Major” by Dr. McLaine, a graceful yet playful piece that Dr. McLaine and her dancers believe to be an honor to perform. Humphrey was one of the most iconic and sought-after choreographers of the 20th century, and the re-staging of her piece is made possible by permission from the Dance Notation Bureau (DNB) and funded by the Office of Research and Grant Administration (ORGA). This re-staging and the fact that three of the seven works to be performed are choreographed by new faculty members are just a few examples of the expansion and success of the department.