The Denison University department of dance presents its spring dance concert, "Partial to Pieces," at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (April 26, 27, 28) with an additional matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Saturday (April 28) in the Doane Dance Studio Theatre. Tickets are $7 general admission, $2 students, and $5 Denison faculty and staff. For ticket reservations call 740/587-6712 or e-mail dougan@denison.edu.

This annual concert contains works choreographed by senior dance students, both majors and minors, experimenting with a spectrum of techniques, props and fresh ideas. Students are encouraged to create original works after successfully completing coursework in Composition and Improvisation. This semester-long project provides students with an arena to explore their choreographic ideas and helps them to develop real life skills in the production process.

The concert opens with an imaginative work by senior Sara Harris. Situated on top of an eight-foot-square platform, two dancers play with the dimensions of a square and the extreme confinement of the space. First-year student Kathy Jorck and senior Jessica Ray interact with each other in this simply structured contemporary work in three succinct sections. Echoing the minimalist approach of the choreography, it is performed to music from Philip Glass' "Mishima."

Following, senior Emma Draves enters the stage to perform her self-choreographed solo titled "Gi Pai Pa Yul Chula." Danced to music by Yungchen Lhamo, the piece is inspired by the notion of the dawn of a new day and alludes to a search for peace and generosity of spirit.

"Pressure: Synthetic Relationships with Captured Air," choreographed by senior Jennifer Malaquias, is a clever work for three dancers and three large silver balls. Dance majors Lindsey Cortese and Carleen Healy and dance minor Kathy Jorck play with these large plastic spheres as extensions of their bodies to selections from a film score by Thomas Newman.

Senior dance minor Behnaz Khusrokhan's powerful choreography, titled "Mortal Instinct," closes the first half of the show. Performed by seven dancers (April Bass, Aimee Codarmaz, Damaris Genao, Franklin Grace, Carrie Kotula, Ratna Sheth and Hogan Winn), this short but dramatic work explores the emotion of fear accompanied by music composed for a contemporary Indian film.

Dance major Jessica Ray's quartet opens the second half. The stage is split through the center and the duets are choreographed side by side. This contemplative work explores the relationships that can unfold and the resulting juxtapositioning when two distinct ideas are situated next to one another. It is performed by dance majors, Sara Harris and Jessamyn Schmidt, dance minor Kerry Farrel and graduating senior Floy Stewart.

Drave's second work on the program, "Auspicious Passion," explores the interworkings of an individual's thoughts and is choreographed in four sections, featuring solo work by Drave. The live vocal performance by senior music major Kirstra Otto adds another layer to the pre-recorded music by Lisa Gerrard and Peter Bourke. The six dancers include dance majors Carleen Healy, Jessamyn Schmidt, and Ellie Shardlow, dance minors Brittany Gagne and Emily Stenken, and graduating senior Carrie Kotula.

The concert will conclude with an innovation collaborative work by Harris and Ray. Dancing on a large clear vinyl floor painted in carefully chosen places with blue and green paint, the duet is accompanied by live percussion performed by a professional percussionist and dance department accompanist Harry Jackson III.

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.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

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Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

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(740) 587-8575