Aerial Dance Theater and InSync Dance
Theater, two Hope College-affiliated dance companies, will
be performing in Lansing on Saturday, Oct. 14, at the
Michigan Dance Council Showcase Concert.
Each company will present work that has been
nominated for the Maggie Allesee New Choreography Award to
be presented at the end of the event. Hope College-
affiliated choreographers Linda Graham and Rosanne DeVries
account for two of the seven pieces nominated for the honor.
Aerial Dance Theater, co-directed by Steven
Iannacone and Linda Graham of the Hope dance faculty, will
be performing Graham's "Red Wolf," which is "an exploration
of the wild that lives within," according to Graham. "Red
Wolf" combines dance with the physicality and focus of
martial arts. The choreography also captures the intensity
and spirit of tribal ritual as dancers use long wooden poles
to demonstrate the physical and mental stamina of tribal
women. The movement is set to rhythmic Algerian music,
which produces a sense of urgency in the dancers. "Red
Wolf" is performed by Hope College seniors Brianne Fry,
Christine Lutz, Emily Poel and Amy Vertalka, and by Hope
graduate Lara Bremer.
InSync Dance Theater, Hope's resident jazz and tap
company, will showcase "Urban Jam," choreographed by new
Hope College dance faculty member Rosanne DeVries.
According to DeVries, the piece "celebrates the very breath
of tap dance--rhythm." The piece has dancers using both
drumsticks and their feet as instruments in creating
rhythms. "Urban Jam" was originally set to music, but the
power and climax of overlapping rhythms compelled the
choreographer to perform the piece a cappella. The work,
resembling a challenge in which each dancer tries to out-
show the rest, blends playful, carefree improvisation with
hard-edged rhythms. Dancing in "Urban Jam" are company
members Rosanne DeVries, Sandra Federico, Suki Fox-Keita,
Mandy Olsen, Rusty Reeves, Matthew Stehle and Danny Taylor.
InSync Dance Theater was co-founded by Hope College dance
faculty members Dawn McIlhargey-Wigert and Terri Filips.
The Showcase Concert is part of the Michigan Dance
Council Dance Day, held at Lansing Community College on
Saturday, Oct. 14. The day begins with registration at 9
a.m. and continues with a variety of master classes and the
Michigan Dance Council annual meeting. The day concludes
with the Showcase Concert and presentation of the Maggie
Allesee Award at 3:30 p.m. in Dart Auditorium. Additional
information may be obtained by calling the Michigan Dance
Council at (313) 577-4247.