Students honor 85th anniversary

Contemporary dance students will celebrate IU Dance Theatre’s 85th anniversary with a concert Sunday evening at the IU Auditorium.

Beginning at 7 p.m., the event is free and open to the public.

Department director Liz Shea said the four dances students will perform are all repertory pieces from acclaimed choreographers.

“They are pieces that have already been choreographed,” Shea said. “All of these pieces are quite well known in our field.”

Paul Taylor’s “Esplanade” will begin the program.

Choreographed in 1975, the piece was inspired by the sight of a girl running to catch a bus, according to the Paul Taylor Dance Company’s website.

“It was really thought as one of the most profound and most beloved of all modern dance works,” Shea said. “Performing this piece is a really big deal.”

Senior Joe Musiel will perform in “Straight Duet,” a 2003 piece choreographed by Larry Keigwin and Nicole Wolcott, and “Nascimento Novo,” the concert’s closing piece choreographed by David Parsons.

Musiel has performed “Straight Duet” for the past few years and has also performed “Nascimento Novo.”

He said this made his audition for the concert easier.

“It was a lot less pressure,” Musiel said. “It was more of a refresher course.”

Prospective contemporary dance students must audition for the program during their senior year of high school.

Auditions for the concert were open to about 200 contemporary dance majors and minors.

Only 20 were selected to participate.

Musiel said auditions for these types of concerts are highly competitive.

“You’re competing against your friends,” Musiel said.

Shea said even students who are not usually interested in dance will be impressed by the dancers’ artistic abilities and athleticism.

“It’s a great time to come if they’re not familiar with modern dance,” Shea said. “They will be amazed at the talent of their peers.”

IU’s contemporary dance program began as a physical education program in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, according to a press release.

The priorities of the school, now called the School of Public Health, have shifted.

“As dancers and artists, we will maintain the integrity of our discipline, but we’re also excited to move forward,” Shea said. “We want to work with different populations and really bring our art form and our artistry to improve health and wellness in our community.”

Living Dance Community Partnerships, a new program initiative, includes classes such as Dance for Parkinson’s and a service learning program with the Crestmont Boys and Girls Club.

“We’re very excited about this new era of dance,” Shea said.