“Dance Now!”, the annual dance concert presented by the School of Theatre & Dance, celebrating 85 years of dance at West Virginia University, will run Feb 6-7 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre located in the Creative Arts Center.
Showcasing the new choreography of prestigious WVU faculty members, students, and special guest artists such as the senior members of the Pittsburgh Ballet School, “Dance Now!” offers audiences the opportunity to see a wide array of dance styles and movement studies.
Dance Now! will feature new works by WVU dance students Mercedes Lewis, Demiah Edwards, Corinthia Rilko, Bria Cross, and Hayden Marushi as well as dance faculty performed by a cast of 60 dance students to original lighting and costume designs by design faculty and graduate students.
“As in past years the program will have something for every dance lover, with a palette full of dance genres from classical ballet to tap, from modern to hip-hop and much, much more,” says Professor Yoav Kaddar, director of the Dance Program. “Dance Now! 2014 also marks the inaugural year of our new Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance, which makes this concert a true celebration of dance.”
The masterwork, “Brandenburg (Dawn),” by guest artist Holly Williams, past member of the Mark Morris Dance Group and Director of the Dance Program at the University of Texas in Austin, was created and choreographed for the dance majors at WVU, and will be making its world premiere at “Dance Now!” Costume design is by Professor Mary McClung and lighting design is by Bachelor of Fine Arts Design/Tech student Savannah Yost.
The Motown Strutters, a senior ladies tap dancing troupe in association with Morgantown Dance Studio, are featured guest artists of the concert, showcasing the wonderful talent that Morgantown has to offer. The ladies donate their time to nursing homes and rehab facilities in the area and volunteer at Morgantown Dance, West Virginia Public Theatre, and the Metropolitan Theatre.
Another highlight of “Dance Now!” is Martha Clarke, Felix Blaska and Robby Barnett’s 1979 trio “The Garden of Villandry,” recently re-staged for the American Ballet Theatre in New York City, which will be performed by dance faculty members Yoav Kaddar, Maureen Mansfield Kaddar, and General McArthur Hambrick. The piece, set to the music of Franz Shubert, will be performed live by faculty members from the WVU School of Music.
Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for senior citizens and students. There is a group rate of $10 per ticket for groups of 10 or more.
Tickets are available at http://ticketmaster.com, the CAC or Mountainlair Box Offices, or by calling 304-293-SHOW.
For more information on “Dance Now!” please visit http://theatre.wvu.edu, call 304-293-2020, or email theatre@mail.wvu.edu.
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CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu
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