Starting March 3, the UO School of Music and Dance is presenting the annual Dance in Concert, featuring choreography created by faculty alongside professional guest artists.
Attendees will love the engaging mix of dance and music that’s taking the stage right here in Eugene at the Dougherty Dance Theatre. This showcase has been in the works since students auditioned during fall term and has provided them with the opportunity to work with a variety of different creators.
Shannon Mockli, featured in this year’s showcase, has been an instructor in dance at the University of Oregon for around 13 years and primarily teaches contemporary dance and ballet.
“Within the concert is a broad spectrum of styles. Each choreographer is driving on their root dance forms to make new expressive, original works,” Mockli said.
This year she choreographed the piece “Sometimes It’s Hard to See The Stars,” which features three tracks from Radiohead’s album “KID A.” Mockli explained how her piece is reflective, looking back into time and was somewhat inspired by Radiohead.
“I had heard a podcast by Reveal, and this podcast really struck me because it’s looking at the creation of this album in 2001,” Mockli said.
She expressed how her students are the same age now as she was when Radiohead initially released the album. “It’s really an interesting kind of connection, thinking about the passage of time and generations,” Mockli said.
Junior Nailah Lewis emphasized how assistant professor Hannah Thomas, who recently joined the School of Music and Dance in 2021, gave students the opportunity to add their own flair in her hip-hop contemporary piece titled “and not faint.” Lewis explained how during rehearsals, Thomas allowed students to craft their own solos and improvise. She then built these solos into the choreography.
“The community that I feel like she’s already built has been amazing. Now working with her as a choreographer, it’s the same thing, it’s still a lot of the community sense,” Lewis said. “When she creates her dances, it’s not just, ‘I’m creating a dance.’ It’s, ‘I’m working with you. We are creating a dance.’ I think that’s what really set her apart to me.”
Isabel Renich, senior majoring in dance at the UO, is a dancer in professor Brad Garner’s contemporary work, titled“Lux Aeterna.” She explained the piece has a jazzy feel and also features fast paced, electronic music to match the theme of the work. This music selection channels the energy one might feel at a party, reminding us of the carefree times before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In Garner’s piece, there’s a lot about human connection. He talks about it in rehearsals, that feeling of being in a crowded room at a party, or in a club, and all just enjoying ourselves together,” Renich said. “As well as elements of — what has the pandemic done to that type of environment?”
Mockli recounted how last year the pandemic resulted in dancers taking classes in 12 by 12 foot squares, limiting in person connection due to safety concerns.
After the absence of a live audience as the showcase was live streamed last year, the opportunity for an in person audience this March is something students and professors are all excited for as they share their passion for dance.
“This year is a world’s difference, where we’ve been able to get rid of our squares. It feels like a movement toward connection,” Mockli said.
The UO Dance in Concert is March 3-5 at 8 p.m. each night at the Dougherty Dance Theatre. Attendees must wear masks and show proof of vaccinations or a negative COVID-19 test within the prior three days. Tickets for UO students with proof of ID are $6 and adults are $8. Purchase tickets at the UO Events Page.
