The Department of Dance at Hope College will present its major annual concert, Dance 48 this year, on Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5, and Thursday-Saturday, March 10-12, at 7:30 p.m. in the DeWitt Center main theatre.
The annual concert features work that has been choreographed by members of the dance faculty and guest artists, with Hope dance students performing. Developed around the theme “Live,” this year’s event marks a return to in-person performance following the 2021 concert’s presentation as films shared online. As explained by the department, “The title purposefully has a dual meaning — we are excited to be presenting our first live faculty concert in two years. We celebrate life, living and perseverance!”
The program will feature seven works in styles including authentic jazz/tap, contemporary/modern, jazz/theatre, contemporary ballet, and contemporary movement blended with country dance patterns. The choreographers are guest artists Sharon Wong and Linda Graham, and faculty members Kara Brems, Heather Cornell, Lindsey Hanson, Jasmine Mejia and Julie Powell. Wong is an internationally renowned dance educator who is a visiting member of Hope dance faculty, and Graham is a professor emerita of dance at Hope who retired in 2019 after teaching at the college since 1983.
Lighting design will be by Erik Alberg, sound design by Ken Chamberlain and costumes by Darlene K. Veenstra. Approximately 60 Hope students will perform, with about 20 others working on technical and costume crews.
Tickets are $10 for regular admission; $7 for senior citizens and Hope faculty and staff; and free for Hope College students and for children 18 and under. Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located in downtown Holland in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The ticket office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached at 616-395-7890. Tickets can also be purchased online at hope.edu/tickets
Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the college’s Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Updates related to events are posted when available in the individual listings at hope.edu/calendar
Due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, Hope is currently requiring that masks be worn by all individuals while indoors on campus unless in their living space or alone in their work space.
The DeWitt Center is located at 141 E 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue between 10th and 13th streets.