Dance majors take stage in senior project

A new generation of IU contemporary dance majors has been working for the past four years, and now, in an exhibition at the John Waldron Arts Center titled “Roots and Wings,” the students are ready to show what they have learned.

“It’s just the journey of nine seniors in the contemporary dance program,” senior Carly Gessin said.

Of the nine dance majors, seven will either present dances they choreographed, perform themselves or both. Gessin and senior Ashley Jones chose to give presentations instead. Jones will focus on the prevention and care of dance-related injuries, and Gessin will talk about “Selling Creativity,” a presentation meant to teach the audience how to make money in the arts.

“We have our roots from the University,” she said. “They’ve strongly rooted us in education and technique, and now it’s up to us.”

“You are going to see not only dance, but some of the ways dance interacts with science,” said Selene Carter, the seniors’ teacher.

Audience members will also see a performance by the current freshmen to begin the event, who will perform dances put together by guest choreographer Roberta Wong.

For the dances, themes range from Colleen Welch’s reflection on strength to Kelly McCormick Bang’s focus on inner turmoil and drawing on one’s personal resources.
“It shows the interests of our seniors, but they in turn reflect on the trends and themes of modern dance,” Carter said.

Allison Zobel created a dance company for her senior project, Awakened Dance Company.

“I went to Thailand last spring break and got really into Buddhism,” she said. “My favorite chapter from the Dhammapada was ‘Awakened.’”

Her dancers, fellow students, will perform “Beat,” a piece Zobel choreographed to go with Jack Kerouac’s “Spoken Word.”

Devon Goudge’s all-male ensemble will perform an interpretation of developing a tough skin from criticism. Esther Widlanski choreographed the recent production of “Cabaret” at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater; her dancers will perform one of the dances she created for that play.

The contemporary dance program in the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation was cut in the early 1990s due to lack of funding but was brought back due in large part to Liz Shea, the program’s current coordinator, Carter said. The nine students were the first freshman class of this re-inception.

The evening is a final for Carter’s class, Senior Summary, which focuses on helping the students move from the academic to professional fields, Carter said.

“Essentially, it’s a rigorous bridge for the seniors to make the transition,” Carter said.

Students and Bloomington residents can see how the seniors do it at “Roots and Wings.”

“(We’re) all very excited to embark on this thing called ‘the real world,’” Gessin said with a laugh.