The Rocket

Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Focus

Dance and elementary education major, Todd Englander, 22, choreographed his own solo titled, "Knowledge-Lessons=Tests?" for the Defying Gravity winter concert put on by SRU Dance Theatre.

Media Credit: Lauren Laing (From left) Sophomore dance and communication major, Alexandra Sirinakis and junior dance major, Amber Allgyer performed Jan. 28, 29 and 30 in senior dance major, Bailey Bretz's piece, "Inside Eden."

Jump. Soar. Fly. Defy gravity.

SRU dance department students defied gravity when they took to the stage with choreography created by them and guest artists.

The concert took place Jan. 28, 29, and 30.

Jennifer Keller, an assistant professor of dance, said that Defying Gravity was chosen as the theme because each piece deals with gravity and suspension against it.

She explained that some pieces were delicate and tender while others had hurtling falls.

The dancers had the opportunity to work intensively with three guest artists for the past nine months: Doug Varone, Chad Hall and Frank Chaves.

"They all have different aesthetics that they demanded from the students," Keller said.

There was also live music during the piece, "Tomorrow." Assistant professor of music, Colleen Gray, contributed vocals and professor of music, Nanette Kaplan Solomon, played the piano.

Marissa Lang, a 22-year-old senior dance major, was one of eight dance students chosen to choreograph pieces for the performance. Lang explained that each student who wanted to be a choreographer was judged before being asked to create a piece to teach their fellow students.

"We must perform in an adjudication dance concert where we are judged and scored," Land said. "And if you get so many points, you are asked to choreograph. I found out I was chosen at the end of November and my preparing started right away."

Lang said she held auditions for dancers and ultimately chose eight students. She said each student worked well together.

"We practiced two days a week at first, then practiced each night for around five hours the week before the show," Lang said. "It was an amazing experience teaching the students my dance. Anything I asked them to do, they were more than willing to try it. It was fun to feel in charge of my group."

She said that working with the guest artists was also an amazing experience.

"It's always nice to work with other choreographers you haven't worked with," Lang said. "They helped with the overall performance and technique of my piece. The faculty also guided us to make sure we were on the right track."

Another student who choreographed a dance was Todd Englander, a 22-year-old senior elementary education and dance major. The one difference was that Englander's dance was a solo.

"I started choreographing my solo around July, but the time school started I had already had my prop, music and around one minute and thirty seconds done already," Englander said.

He said it took him around 12 hours of improvising to generate the movement for the dance, which included working a desk into his choreography.

"I danced on top of it, underneath it, I placed it all different ways," Englander said. "I jumped off of it, I went underneath it, I did handstands on it."

He said he was slightly nervous before the show.

"Dancing in your own piece is hard," Englander said. "You need to be able to dance while self-correcting. I couldn't watch to see if I was doing something wrong."

Other students who choreographed dances were Sarah Lavalee from Canastota, N.Y.; Katilyn Grimes from Erie; Brennen Cooper from Warren, Pa.; Bailey Bretz from Hilliard, Ohio; Kaitlyn Christensen from Rose Valley, Pa., and Molly Hanlon from McKeesport, Pa.

Overall, Keller was very pleased the performance.

"I think it was a huge success," she said. "We had a lot of alumni come back and the community came out to see it."

Keller also said the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

"The concert really showed the strength of this department," she said. "It also showed the stamina of our students to be able to change and embody different aesthetics. Personally, I'm very proud."

Lang is also proud of the department.

"It was a fabulous show overall," she said. "I think it's the most exciting thing SRUDT has ever done."

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