The Department of Dance will present nine student-choreographed works this weekend in “Dance in Fusion,” the 2004 Winter Student Dance Concert. The annual production allows dance students not only to choreograph, but also design, publicize and run a professional-level show.
Associate Dance Professor Walter Kennedy said anyone who completes the three required dance courses is eligible to choreograph for the show. Choreographers enroll in a fall course titled “Student Dance Concert” and hold auditions in October. Although each choreographer is assigned a faculty adviser, the dance department staff lets students orchestrate the concert mostly on their own.
“Our goal is to throw them out of the nest and see how well they can fly,” Kennedy said.
He said this year’s routines include a dark, theatrical piece; a percussion-filled Brazilian number; a hip-hop piece; and a ballroom-style duet which evokes a “battle of the sexes” feeling.
Senior dance major Sarah Nelson composed a trio, “Sleek Trinity,” using a fusion of lyrical, jazz and ballet styles based around two ballet barres placed on stage. The three dancers, donning red leotards and black tights, induce a day in a dance classroom to music from the “Twin Peaks” soundtrack and the song “Exodo” by an unknown artist.
“It shows the competitive feelings in the world of dance,” Nelson said. “Sometimes the dancers are interacting and sometimes they’re in their own elements. The whole dance is sultry. It’s very sassy.”
Choreographer Jillian Kacalek, also a senior dance major, used a combination of genres in her piece as well. “Feel the Groove,” her dance trio, will mix ballet, jazz, hip-hop and modern to the songs “They Can’t Take That Away” by Rod Stewart, “Joker” by the Steve Miller Band and “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake. The three dancers perform on pointe, a form of ballet where dancers wear shoes that allow them to dance on their toes. They will wear flowing knee-length black skirts, solid-color tank tops and black bow ties.

“It’s about feeling the music and having fun with each other yet showing off,” Kacalek said. “I wanted to show a side of my personality that most people don’t see.”
The student choreographers were in charge of all aspects of the production, including costumes, lighting design, fund-raising, designing posters and programs and finding stage crews. Students have held approximately two rehearsals per week since mid-October and exhibited their in-progress work at several showings, where they received feedback from their advisers.
“In the world of dance, you need to know about every production aspect,” Kennedy said. “One of our goals in the dance department is for students to get practical experience they can use.”
Nelson said the process was mostly a breeze thanks to her talented cast members and love for dance.
“It was pretty enjoyable and exciting,” she said. “Doing choreography and costumes is what I like to do. I was willing to do all of it because it is so rewarding. At first it was hard because I didn’t know how my choreography would look, but it was a smooth process because my dancers can do anything.”
“Dance in Fusion” premieres tonight at 8 p.m. in the Dougherty Dance Theatre and continues Friday and Saturday. Tickets are available at the door for $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors.