On Friday, June 5, the UO dance department will present their annual Spring Dance Loft.
Loft performances take place at the end of each quarter, showcasing student choreography and performance. In this way, the event is similar to other shows produced in the department, like the Spring Student Dance concert. The Student Concert, however, is tied directly to an upper-division class in the department, while the Spring Loft is entirely extracurricular.
According to the students involved, the Loft is a much more casual experience, where dancers produce works based on their interests and creative urges. Many students produce Loft pieces as senior projects.
This is the case for Stephanie Ennes. Her piece, titled “Cycle 8”, features three dancers who have worked together in the UO dance program since their freshman year.
“I’m excited because this is my first time — and last time — choreographing at the U of O,” Ennes said. “It’s good to complete my time here with a work, and something that’s mine.”
For Bryn Hlava, another senior in the department, this opportunity is what makes the Loft experience unique.
“As dancers we don’t have that many opportunities to create work and put it onstage because it is such a production,” Hlava said. “It is nice for there to be a less formal situation.”
For her piece, Hlava is focusing on sensation and kinesthetic response to movement. The music was composed by her boyfriend, UO student Karsten Topelmann. Though Topelmann is currently in London, the two have collaborated electronically to develop Hlava’s final product.
Collaboration seems to be a common thread among the Spring Loft pieces. Ennes mentioned that she encouraged her dancers to incorporate their own experiences into the movement prompts she gave them.
Another dancer, senior Robin Ewing, enhanced his choreographing experience by collaborating with a hip-hop artist for his piece.
“I needed to work with someone who had a different style than I did. I wanted to generate movement that was somewhere in between,” said Ewing.
Teamwork of this kind and much creative freedom has resulted in a show that has something for everyone. Some pieces feature work by familiar artists like James Brown and the Beatles. Others are more unconventional.
Senior Lacey Ackerman’s piece, for example, is set to the sounds of a tide and a speech by John F. Kennedy.
“I was really inspired by the rhythm that the ocean establishes,” she said.
Ackerman echoed her fellow students’ appreciation of the diversity of movement and music that the Spring Loft will feature.
“Each piece that I’ve seen is so representative of the individual, like you could totally see them dancing their whole piece out there, maybe in their kitchen or something,” she said.
Hlava seemed to share Ackerman’s obvious excitement. For her, the dance program brings something special to the table that is just waiting to be shared with an audience.
“I always try to encourage people to come to the dance shows,” she said. “The U of O dance department is awesome. it’s such a hidden gem.”
The Spring Dance Loft is Friday, June 5 at 8 p.m. It will take place in the Dougherty Dance Theater in Gerlinger Annex on campus, and tickets are $3 for students. For more information, visit the School of Music and Dance website.