Wooster is nationally recognized for the Independent Study program, its challenging academics and freak cases of spontaneous weather patterns. But a commonly overlooked feature on campus is the powerful and creative force in the chartered modern dance concerts. This past weekend, the Wooster Dance Company, a chartered organization, produced its annual Spring Dance Concert in Freedlander Theatre. The show was directed by Professor of Theatre and Dance Kim Tritt and was the final performance of the Department of Theatre and Dance’s 2009-2010 season. With 10 performances from nine unique and highly talented choreographers, each piece from the concert exuded a well established level of professionalism and artistic intellect.
Emily Barth’s ’10 piece “Race to Myself” was a perfect fusion of modern dance and ballet. “The inspiration for the piece was the place where I am in my life as a graduating senior, and the different parts of me that I am constantly trying to make work together as I work forward. I divided the stage into three parts to represent the past, present and future,” says Barth. Essentially, she states that she is moving “from the past, through the present and it ends with the different parts of myself reconciling and looking to the future.” This was Barth’s eighth dance concert at the College, which incorporated some of her best movement to date.
“Another Face” by Kathleen Metcalfe ’10 transported the audience on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. Her piece featured a voice-over that spoke lines from Lucy Grealy’s “Autobiography of a Face.” The book recounts Grealy’s hardships she suffered when she became disfigured by cancer resulting in the removal of part of her jaw. Metcalfe’s choreography seamlessly matched the pain and suffering from the text and artistically highlighted Grealy’s pain into powerful and striking compoistion. Metcalfe had a unique style of movement, which was well received by the audience.
“One,” by Kaitlin Yankello ’11 was one of my favorite performances to watch because the beautiful dancing formations and bright orange lights utilized in her dance. Her piece used music titled “Adiemus” which made the atmosphere of the piece feel tribal. “The piece was about a community of people who must work together as a group in order to achieve their goals. When they try to act as individuals, they struggle and even fail, but it is when they act as one that they are successful,” said Yankello. I was impressed with her ability to choreograph because the movement conducted through the space connected very well to the uplifting music.
I became equally moved and inspired by Brandelle Knight’s ’12 piece “I Get Out,” which exhibited a great repertoire of hip hop movement. Knights stated that her dance is† “the result of me tossing around questions about savagery versus civilization.” In addition, the dance concert featured two performances from guest artist Parul Gupta, the manager, and founding director of Infusion Dance Studios in Montreal, Canada. Her pieces displayed her strong dedication and beautiful mastery of classic and contemporary Indian dance. Tritt’s piece “Bedtime Stories” featured a comedic story of four kids and their adventures of going to bed. What made Tritt’s piece entertaining were the animated dust bunnies running away from the mother (Adrianna Maxton ’13) trying to clean them up with an over-sized vacuum cleaner. Other choreographers included Ellie Lawrence ’11, Lindsay Phillips ’11 and Annie Woller ’13. Woller explained that “Wooster has given me the unique opportunity to choreograph as a freshman and I have tried to take full advantage of that.” The Wooster Dance Company will return in the next academic year with the Fall Dance Concert.