Performances

BRANCH

BRANCH: a performance practice exploring groundedness and connection in unpredictable times.

October 14, 2020

BRANCH performance

BRANCH performance

BRANCH performance

BRANCH performance

BRANCH performance

BRANCH is a 45-minute performance practice shared by Dr. Molly Shanahan’s Contemporary Dance and Performance ensemble.

BRANCH is October 19-22 and 26-29 from 5:30-6:15pm on the front lawn of Hobart House at the entrance of the Denison Biological Reserve. BRANCH is inspired by Merian Soto’s Branch Dances and adapted by Shanahan in response to COVID. Denison’s dancers move together, yet without touch or close proximity, linked through the simple, profound connection to nature offered by contact with the natural world.

DU students, faculty, and staff are invited to stop by for any length of time to observe.

*weather permitting; social distancing and masks required

Posted date: October 14, 2020

Spotlights

Yaz Simpson ’23 performing slam poetry

HERE US showcases original performances by students of color

In its third stage production, HERE US continues to thrive, evolve, and carve out space for passionate performers.

Winter 2022 cover

Denison Magazine

The ON Switch

Conversations with faculty about what it means to teach — and to trigger those amazing moments of illumination

Alison Waldman ’10

Where We Go

The healing power of breaking barriers

Artists can cross lines that medical professionals sometimes don't have the space to.

Denison students and Sri Lankan performers dance in concert

How We Learn

Sri Lankan Odyssey

A five-year immersion in Sri Lankan culture gives Denison students a profound cross-cultural experience.

Dancers in front of exhibition

How We Learn

Art and Space Connect and Encourage Empathy

Resident artists Christian and Anne Manns pay tribute to local history through exhibition “Monumental!”

Students in the dance studio

How We Learn

A New Home for the Performing Arts

As budgets across the country cut corners on the arts, Denison goes all in.

Denison alumni dance panel on stools

Where We Go

Alumni talk about dance, careers

Five dance alumni gathered for a career panel and answered questions about their careers in dance.

Megan Frazier

Where We Go

Dance into Life

For Megan Frazier '97, her love of movement and physiology has translated into her career as a pediatric physical therapist.

denison students in Sri Lanka1

How We Learn

Cultural exchange in Sri Lanka

In the summer of 2016, students were immersed in the culture of Sri Lanka during a research trip.

molly_shanahan_3

Where We Go

Molly Shanahan '90

Alum Molly Shanahan recognized as a singular voice in Chicago  dance.

sri-lanka-group

How We Learn

Crossing borders through dance

Research in Sri Lanka changed perspectives teaching and interpreting dance.

Steve Flores

Where We Go

Hip-Hop Entrepreneur

From econ major to hip-hop dancer with Steve Flores '11.

Emma Draves

Where We Go

Emma Draves '01

Draves' work navigates spaces of contemporaneity, hybridity, & globalization.

Life in Ghana 1

How We Learn

Life in Ghana

Life in Ghana was very different from life on the hill.

Hailey Bruce '16

How We Learn

A Real Professional

Hailey Bruce '16 took part in a three-week residency with the Parsons Dance Company in New York City.

What's Happening

Faculty

Creating dance soundscapes

Matthew Dixon is the creative force behind the live music at Denison’s dance concerts

Performances

Grace Han ‘24 explores South Korean heritage in dance

A Denison-sponsored trip to Seoul inspired Grace Han ’24 to “share with my friends and family what I’m really passionate about.”

Fairs & Festivals

2023 Fall Dance Festival of Student Choreographers

A collaborative space for students to introduce new, creative and exciting choreographies to the community.