GRANVILLE, Ohio—Denison University’s Department of Dance will present a showcase of three pieces at 8 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday, April 18 to 21, in the Doane Dance Building. The performance is free and open to the public. Reservations are required by calling 740-587-6799 or e-mail dance@denison.edu.
The concert will open with a piece by Burkina Faso, Africa, native Olivier Tarpaga, an adjunct faculty member in the Denison dance department. Tarpaga’s piece, “Avec la Vent,” can be considered “dance theatre within a Modern yet African scope,” while also including pedestrian movement. The piece displays a range of emotions with speed and precision. The movement material was conceived as a series of solos by the dancers themselves and then was reworked and manipulated by Tarpaga. The piece is accompanied by live music, including guitar, drums and vocal hums by musicians John Osburn and Elijah Aaron .
The second work on the program, “The Vivian Girls,” is choreographed by Denison dance professor, Sandra Mathern-Smith. Featuring a cast of strong, inspiring women, this work is stimulated by the 15,145-page magnum opus by Henry Joseph Darger, a reclusive American custodian who died in 1973. Darger’s work, “In the Realms of the Unreal” depicts the lives of female heroines, “the Vivian girls.” Mathern-Smith’s work explores heroism, play and war, creativity and violence. Mathern-Smith embraces the idea that anyone can be a hero. She describes her choreography as fast-paced with an epic sound score composed by John Osburn.
The concert will close with “Swan Lake,” choreographed by Vail Series and guest artist Dada Masilo, a native of Johannesburg, South Africa. Masilo’s reinterpretation of the classic Petipa-Ivanov/Tchaikovsky tale, is cast in a new time and place. Her version, using physical material that is a mix of classical ballet, Western contemporary and African technique, challenges assumptions and norms regarding gender, sexuality and movement. By breaking expectations, including roles, dress, and a fusion of styles, and by incorporating humor, Masilo creates a piece that is at once profound and fun.
While the concert is free and open to the public, reservations are required. Reservations may be made by calling 740-587-6799 or email
dance@denison.edu, stating the name, date of concert, and number of tickets being requested. The Dance Department will return your call or email to confirm your reservation.
Calendar Listing:
CALENDAR LISTING, Denison University, Granville—Dance performance at 8 p.m. from Wednesday through Saturday, April 18 to 21, in Doane Dance Building (231 West College Street). Free and open to the public. Reservations required: 740-587-6799 or dance@denison.edu. For more information, contact Susan Kosling at 740-587-6712 or visit www.denison.edu.
About Denison:
Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.
