Denison University’s Department of Dance will present “On Top and Underground” at 8 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday, April 19 – 22, in the Knapp Performance Lab, Knapp Hall (300 Ridge Road). The performance is free and open to the public.

“On Top and Underground” features original works by dance faculty Sandra Mathern-Smith, Stafford C. Berry Jr. and guest artist Molly Shanahan, member of the Denison class of 1990. Created to take advantage of the newly constructed Knapp Performance Lab space, which has audience seating on three sides, these works highlight the intimacy and vivid acoustics of the space.

Berry’s new work “Salute to South Africa” is based on Isicathulo, a traditional dance of the Zulu people of South Africa. Combining traditional technique and vocabulary with contemporary chants, “Salute to South Africa” inspires a conversation about courage and activism. The piece features a cast of 19 Denison students.

Berry’s second work, “Lamentation,” is a contemporary African work. Choreographed for four student dancers, it is set to the expressive voice of Malian singer Oumou Sangaré. The piece combines traditional and contemporary African movement ideas to explore the relationship of movement and mourning.

Mathern’s contemporary piece, “Seeing Six,” features a cast of six Denison students investigating the notion of performance as both the body being looked at and the performer watching the people who are watching them. Projected images of the body in extreme close-up, including fingers, legs, arms, torso, back and ears, are seen simultaneously with the dance.

Shanahan’s piece, “A Gentle Chase,” is the product of intense choreographic residencies with seven Denison students. The work is an exploration that emphasizes movement stemming from the pelvis and ribcage, creating a fluid movement ensemble that emphasizes a unity of purpose.

For more information, call Susan Kosling at 740-587-6712.