The stage of A.A. Fredericks Auditorium is pitch black, attendees sit in silence as they wait for what the next play will be. A sudden upbeat sound can be heard startling the audience because of the change in tunes. Like a heartbeat, you become one with the song and suddenly your heartbeat stops.
A captivating and expressive performance was given at Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts by the Department of Theatre and Dance. “Dancescapes” was performed from Oct. 17 to Oct. 19 starting at 7:30 p.m. and on Oct. 20 at 2 p.m.
The performance was a rhythmic spectacle of six different styles of dance performed in the hour-long show. This year, the program featured two guests, Brandon Collwess of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and Eric Rivera a Ballet Hispanico choreographer, along with NSU’s professors who directed the rest of the performances.
The show opened with Collwess “MinEvent,” a sequence of excerpts drawn from the work of Cunningham. This MinEvent included material from Scramble (1967), Canfield (1969), Un jour ou deux (1973), Roaratorio (1979), eyeSpace (40’)(2007) and Nearly Ninety (2009).
Directed by Brett Garfinkel, the next dance was “688.” The name comes from the choreography itself. The opening is repeated six times, and then, as the dancers move in different timings, they execute an eight-count repeat followed by another eight-count repeat. Only seven senior students were chosen to give this performance because the directors wanted to honor the students’ accomplishments in their four years at NSU.
The third choreography was “Lilac Fairy Variation” from Sleeping Beauty. This was a variation of both stories representing the grace and power of Sleeping Beauty’s character and the Lilac Fairy. This was a solo ballet performance by Jillian Duggan choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev and restaged by Kirstin Riehl.
Michael Wall, the composer of the music for “Pulse,” and choreographer Nhan Ho worked together to create the song. Ho explained that Wall’s music always resonates with him, and, with this particular track, he felt as if his heart was racing. This was the inspiration for the title of “Pulse.” Ho also explained that there was not a particular story behind his work but more of what it feels like when the pulse slows down or stops.
The second to last show, “Ladies Who Lunch,” was a performance that took the audience back to the early 1900s through the 1940s. This play was choreographed by Joy Campbell and performed by Jillian Duggan, Gabrielle Marino and Cara Thomason. This particular play was about three friends who are out having lunch when they hear the scandalous news that a dear friend would not be making it to their luncheon. This was a tap performance that kept the audience intrigued by the ladies’ dramatic moves as they discovered the news.
“Corrientes” was the final show directed by Eric Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico. He has worked with Ballet Hispanico in cities like New York. This performance was a tribute to that experience. Rivera shared that “Corrientes” was inspired by each decision people make to shape their unique journeys. He went on to explain that every decision made guides us and provides us with new experiences that shape who we are.
“Dancescapes” provided student performers a chance to demonstrate their talent and work with choreographers. This was more than a performance; it was a chance to see the opportunities NSU can provide to its students.
