IDT is scheduled to present its annual concert at Hope College on Friday and Saturday, April 9 and 10, at 8 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland.
IDT, formerly InSync Dance Theatre, is an affiliate of the department of dance at HopeCollege. The company is led by artistic directors Rosanne Marie Mork (Barton-DeVries) and Amanda Smith-Heynen of the Hope dance faculty.
Don Smith, nationally renowned tap master and contemporary of tap-great Honi Coles, will bring classic tap and Irish step dance to the stage with two premiere works: "Daphne," a celebration of the classic rhythms of the big band era, and "Irish Feat," a Celtic Jig danced by Hope faculty member Rosanne Marie Mork and Hope senior Briana Sosenheimer of Fort Wayne, Ind.
Dorrell Martin, nationally renowned performer and choreographer, will present a techno jazz piece titled "Alive." The work represents the percussive side of jazz dance.
Smith-Heynen, will present a premiere fusing disco dance with a smooth funk reminiscent of Michael Jackson's influence on jazz dance. She will also present "Afloat," a modern jazz work set to the work of a Japanese jazz ensemble, and will round out the program with a contemporary ballet set to Bach's classical score.
Rosanne Marie Mork (Barton-DeVries), will explore the chaotic pace of modern life with driving rhythms and toe-balancing work set to Billy Joel's "Pressure." This piece features a cappella sections and polyrhythms. The company will also present her "Winter's Song," an orchestrated tap dance set to the music of a solo piano composition. Dancers move from chorus work to solo "improvography" as they comment on the winter of waiting. This piece debuted at the University of Illinois Chicago in 2008. Mark Yonally, director of Chicago Tap Theatre, has called the piece "exquisite" and "beautifully mature."
In addition to Sosenheimer, Hope students performing in the concert are: junior Kristin Benner of Plainfield, Ill.; junior Stephanie Brown of Franklin, Ind.; sophomore Ashley Burns of Lake Barrington, Ill.; senior Colleen Creamer of Lima, Ohio; junior Chelsea Harkelroad of Fort Wayne, Ind.; senior Jessica Jeffery of Pinckney; sophomore Jennifer Muisenga of Midland; junior Sarah Stern of Virginia Beach, Va.; sophomore Heather Stiff of Galena, Ohio; sophomore Molly Vass of Valparaiso, Ind.; senior Jessica Wagoner of Clarinda, Iowa; sophomore Danielle Wilder of Westmont, Ill.; and junior Anne Willmert of Wabash, Ind. Local teacher Lindsay Lochner, who is a 2008 Hope graduate, will be performing with the ensemble as well.
Finally, the audience is invited to join in the Shim Sham at the conclusion of the concert, no tap shoes required. The Shim Sham is the national anthem of tap dance. Tap concerts around the world conclude with this piece dating from the 1920s.
In addition to the concerts, IDT on Saturday, April 10, will present its annual repertory workshop for middle school and high school students who are interested in experiencing both traditional and cutting-edge choreography. Participants will receive four master classes with company directors, lunch and concert tickets, for $75. Registration forms are available at www.hope.edu/rhythm, and more information may also be obtained by e-mailing devriesr@hope.edu.
Tickets for the performances are $7 for regular admission, $5 for students and senior citizens, and free for children age 13 and under, and are on sale at the ticket office in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890. Tickets will also be available at the Knickerbocker during the two performance evenings.
The DeVos Fieldhouse is located facing Fairbanks Avenue between Ninth and 11th streets. The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. Eighth St.