Displaying items by tag: School of Dance

by Noelle Sharp

For this episode of MAGNIFYING we spoke with Associate Professor, Ballet Program Coordinator and Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Dance Melonie Buchanan Murray. Our creative community here at the College of Fine Arts is diverse and wide spread. With the goal of gaining a deeper knowledge and awareness of the people within our community, we bring you MAGNIFYING, a series dedicated to showcasing the talent of our students, faculty, and staff.

Tell us about yourself: Name, where you are from, what you do and how you got into in your field of work.
Melonie Buchanan Murray. I grew up in Texas, and have lived in Kansas, California, Colorado, and now Utah. I started taking formal dance lessons (ballet, tap, and jazz) at the age of seven and just never stopped! I remember feeling incredibly excited when I realized that I could study dance in college. So, I pursued a bachelor’s degree earning a BFA in Ballet. I then danced professionally for several years working in many genres-- a ballet company, a modern dance company, cruise ships, musicals, and I was even was a Radio City Rockette. I always had a passion for dance in higher education, so after my performance career, I attended graduate school at the University of California, Irvine where I deepened my understanding of, and connection to, dance. From there, I was hired as a faculty member at Colorado Mesa University where I directed the dance program for nine years. Given my addiction to being a life-long student, I began pursuing a doctoral degree in dance in 2012 and will defend my dissertation this Spring. Currently, I am an Associate Professor of Dance and the Ballet Program Coordinator within the School of Dance at the University of Utah.

What has surprised you the most in your life?
This is an interesting question, and I have two answers. Firstly, in a peculiar way, I think my life and career journey have been full of surprises. I never could have imagined some of the adventures I was afforded or the opportunities that suddenly presented themselves. When I was younger, I never envisioned a concrete life-plan or set of expectations about what my career and life would be. In all honestly, I still don’t. I often feel that I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up! 2) I am consistently amazed by the human capacity for goodness and compassion. Despite the doom and despair that bombards us in the media (and I am not saying that awful things are not occurring, for they most certainly are), humans have the capacity for incredible warmth and generosity of spirit that we can all strive to nurture in ourselves and others. 

What do you wish you had known/been told?
I wish I had realized sooner that the world is small and life is short. I see in my students now the fear, hesitancy, and trepidation that I felt as a young artist, and I try to encourage them to go for it, take a leap of faith. I often say to students (and also to myself): “What do you have to lose?”

By School of Dance Assistant Professor Kate Mattingly

“Everything in a room is designed for the actors’ bodies and for the choreography,” said Mark Hofeling, a production designer who has designed over 50 films and television shows, including the High School Musical series and Teen Beach Movie. Hofeling came to the U to talk to the ballet history students early in the morning on November 13th, and his lecture spanned from battling loneliness as a child to working closely with director Kenny Ortegafor a decade.

After his talk, the ballet students had a chance to ask Hofeling about his career and also to view and analyze recent film projects by Justin Peck (The Times Are Racing) and William Forsythe (Alignigung). Hofeling’s insights into the filming techniques (and costs!) were eye-opening. Students’ questions spanned from “does it help to have a camera-man who understands dance?” to “did you get a lucky break?” The answer to both questions was “Yes!”.

Hofeling grew up in Salt Lake City and attended the U briefly before embarking on his film career at age 19. One of his first jobs was building a Mickey Mouse out of snow for a Disney Ice Palace. Soon (about a decade later) his duties expanded to designing over 20 Disney Channel Original Movies, including the three most watched cable movies of all time: High School Musical 2 (2007), Wizard's of Waverly Place, the Movie (2009), and Teen Beach Movie(2013).

As Hofeling explained during his lecture, one of the advantages of filming dance scenes in musicals is that the shots include groups of 10 to 20 people so audiences can see his entire design for a room (floor to ceiling). In films that aren’t musicals, shots typically include close-ups of 2 or 3 people, making much of the rooms they inhabit invisible.

When we watched examples of recent films made by choreographers, even Forsythe’s Alignigung which appears to have “no set,” Hofeling showed how each project has to be carefully designed using lights and camera angles. In the case of Alignigung, there’s special attention to how to obliterate shadows and create the feeling of two dancers suspended in an endless void.  Students noticed the ways that filming techniques can increase intimacy and provide a more detailed experience for a viewer. Film projects also hold the potential of making dancing available to people who may never go to a ballet performance. Hofeling revealed that after High School Musical opened, enrollment in dance classes across the country skyrocketed.

For Hofeling, film has been both an outlet––a way to engage his intense intelligence and imagination––and a respite––a way to escape a brutal childhood and a family who did not accept him. Hofeling told the class about seeing the Millennium Falcon inStar Wars in 1977 and discovering an alternate universe where anything seemed possible. Asked if he thinks movies hold the same potential today, especially in a world where destruction and violence are rampant, Hofeling answered “Yes” unequivocally. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for movies,” he explained. Those two hours in a theater were his way of escaping the abuses of his family and envisioning a better world. As audiences of his films today, we are the lucky ones who get to immerse ourselves in his brilliant and captivating designs.

(This story was originally posted on the School of Dance website)

The University of Utah School of Dance presents a modern dance concert entitled: Fugue featuring choreography by MFA candidates: Brianna Lopez, Dat Nguyen, Louisa Rankin, and Rebekah Ryan. The concert will be a compilation of the four artists’ thesis research, presented on the Hayes Christensen Theater stage in the Marriott Center for Dance. Like the layered musical composition and the surreal state of altered consciousness, Fugue explodes the boundaries of modern dance and uses movement to entice, enlighten, and push the limits of thought and curiosity.

Brianna Lopez aspires to reimagine desire as an autonomous act and an intuitive response that welcomes a transparent, accessible, and sensate body. Her work aims to conceptualize the ways in which we think about the body and its desires through metaphor, imagery, and sensation—in order to influence new ways of experiencing embodiment.

Dat Nguyen investigates the idea of dance as being “anti-spectacle” by establishing a playground on which multiple ideas exchange and interrupt each other constantly. Dat hopes that his research will allow him to uproot the social/cultural structure (consciously or subconsciously) that perpetually turns dance and other art forms into spectacles to be consumed.

Louisa Rankin investigates the term “isolation” and how it can be explored and explained through movement. Set to the gritty and melodic music of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, this work is specifically geared towards situations in which isolation exists in our current lives and experiences – places of personal discovery/revelation, illness, anxiety/fear of rejection, incongruity, guilt, secrets, and narcissism.

Rebekah Ryan’s interests draw attention to the adaptive body. She researches how the body accepts and thrives under the pressure and demand for change. Her work fuses various genres of dance and instrumental sounds together in attempts to orchestrate an encompassing strength of diversity and reorientation.

Show Dates and Times:
November 30th at 5:30 p.m.
December 1st & 2nd at 7:30 p.m.

Located at the Marriott Center for Dance, University of Utah. Tickets available online or at the door: FREE with the U Artspass (UID) for University of Utah students/$12 Adults/$8 Students, Faculty, Seniors. For more information visit the School of Dance.

Written by the School of Dance Ballet Choreography and Production Students

Seventeen Ballet Program choreographers will showcase their original works November 16 through 18, at the Marriott Center for Dance. This performance is the culmination of the Choreography & Production class, and includes pieces ranging from ballet to hip-hop. Although each work is unique, they explore common ideas such as harmonious diversity, the growth of identity, and the gray spaces between binaries.

 Many of the choreographers were drawn to the idea of individuality and the way that every person fits together peacefully. Tyler Piwowarczyk’s piece highlights each dancer’s unique strengths. He drew inspiration from the strong women surrounding him and from Coco Chanel’s quote, “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”

Sierra Govett drew inspiration from a Danish TV advertisement, and her choreography communicates the importance of recognizing the commonalities between individuals. Through a duet, Emily Chapman explores how “the acceptance of vulnerability allows us to connect with others.” Also exploring relationships is Natalie Dellutri, who invites her audience to discover that although an individual may feel lonely, he or she is never truly alone.

The choreographers were also interested in the concept of identity. Tia Sandman’s work explores the concept of “meshing multiple sides of you, into you.” While Madeline Jones uses her choreography to consider that all emotions must be present for an individual to be truly whole. Victoria Coleman reminds her audience that even though they are pulled in many directions, they must stay true to themselves. Emily Lowe’s piece for a solo artist investigates the confident feeling of “I am enough”.

Other choreographers explored the healing power of dance. Brooke Huebner encourages the audience to consider the importance of living in the now, rather than struggling with the burdens of the past and the pressures of the future. Savanna Hunter examines how distance from trauma affects time. In a classical piece, Kyle Cunningham emphasizes the happiness dancers feel when they are dancing for the sake of dancing. Jennifer Dzuranin, inspired by Shel Silverstein’s poems, creates movement hearkening back to a time of imagination. Tori Holmes choreographed in order to remind her audience that there is always hope in the face of oppression, using dance to depict the strength one must have to keep faith. Nell Josephine’s piece investigates the way three people use dance to overcome their anxiety and fear.

Lastly, choreographers explore the gray areas between hard and fast rules. The butterfly effect, in which one tiny action can cause an enormous effect, is the inspiration for Alex Sprague’s work. Lexie Cheyne questions the conventional gender roles found in most dance forms, deconstructing the preconceived notions of what is possible for every individual. Jalen Williams incorporates elements from ballet, contemporary, and hip-hop, declaring, “we are more than just ballet dancers”.

These seventeen choreographers invite you to grayspace at the Marriott Center for Dance, November 16 at 5:30P, November 17 at 7:30P and November 18 at 2P and 7:30P. Tickets are available online, phone at 801.581.7100 or at the door 30 minutes prior to curtain. For more information, please visit Dance.utah.edu. 

 By Emina Tatarevic

 The Utah Philharmonia’s yearly Halloween event has become tradition for students and families who await its arrival each October.  The Haunted Orchestra came back this last month, full force, for its sixteenth year with a theme that was sure to live up to audiences’ expectations: Star Wars.  Performers and attendees alike donned their Halloween best for an event that merged music, dance, and theater.  The 16th Annual Haunted Orchestra Concert, The Power of the Dark Side, was an eclectic mix of classic Star Wars themes, Disney throwbacks, and lively Bluegrass inspired twists. 

 In collaboration with special guests College of Fine Arts Dance students, Music Director and Conductor, Robert Baldwin, composed an interdisciplinary evening that engaged attendees on more than just an aural level. Tia Sandman and Ashley Chin-Mark, School of Dance students, choreographed the evenings’ opening score: John Williams’ “Scherzo for X-Wings.”  Bringing the classic tale to life, dancers beamed around the audience as the costumed conductor, Matthew Mainella, led the orchestra in an energetic performance that launched the rest of the evening’s events.  This isn’t the first year CFA students have been invited by the Utah Philharmonia, choreographer Ashley is thankful for this partnership that brings in students to be inspired and create work for audiences: “Two words. ‘Star Wars.’ My heart soared to the ends of the galaxy when I found out this year's concert theme was Star Wars. I embraced the task of choosing characters and arranging the plotline to represent the industry and fandom with the utmost accuracy.”  Her experience in partnering with the music group was distinct because “the directors and conductors from the School of Music, Dr. Baldwin and Matthew Mainella, were experienced.  They worked together with the dancers on understanding tempos and finding cues. We really appreciate that they invite the School of Dance to collaborate with them for their annual Halloween Concert year after year!” 

This Halloween custom invites spectators to experience orchestral music and dance through familiar stories and themes.  The Utah Philharmonia delivered a performance not soon to be forgotten and one that will keep us looking forward to what they’ll come up with next.

Early in April, students and faculty representing dozens of dance programs from across the country met for the American College Dance Association’s Northwest Region conference. Held at the University of Oregon in Eugene, this year’s ACDA was a celebration of diversity and inclusion through its theme, “Inter/Action.” Students participated in master classes, performed, presented original choreography, and witnessed over 50 dances over the four days. Nicholas Daulton, a junior at the University of Utah, felt that the University of Oregon did an amazing job of instilling the year’s theme throughout the conference. “I reveled in seeing those who’d taken class with me perform. There were four adjudicated concerts, each having 10-12 dances. That’s a lot of dance to watch but each time I saw someone familiar, I found myself reenergized and excited to experience their performative offering.”

Rebecca Aneloski, a third year in the program, was chosen to represent the U this year, presenting a version of her thesis work for adjudication, How Dare We (Ever Be) All. The Gala performance, traditionally held on the last evening of the festival, includes the adjudicator’s top picks from all four concerts. The School of Dance was proud to learn that Aneloski’s work had been selected for the Gala. Aneloski returned from the journey invigorated by her experience.

“The whole cast was thrilled to represent the University of Utah and the ability to share work and become a part of an even larger dance community was fantastic. My cast worked relentlessly over the year and I was very proud and grateful for their opportunity to perform the piece twice while at ACDA. I came back to Salt Lake City refreshed, hopeful and excited to continue in this field knowing I’m part of a greater collective of mindful movers, creators and thinkers.”

Daulton, a dancer in Aneloski’s cast, expressed how nervous he can get before a concert. The theme and camaraderie of the festival, however, made things feel different this time. “Having watched and danced with everyone, my nervousness transformed into admiration and support for everyone involved in the conference. Each and every person danced with passion, dedication, conviction and faith. It brought tears to my eyes multiple times when realizing that I was surrounded by people who care as much about dance as I do.”

Congratulations to Aneloski, and for their moving performances, the dancers: Micah Burkhardt, Nicholas Daulton, Austin Hardy, Natalie Jones, and Nell Rollins.

By Noelle Sharp

MAKING ART WORK: Advice for artists, from artists is a series that taps into the knowledge and experience of seasoned creatives from our community and beyond for the benefit of our students. We ask three simple questions that get at the heart of what it takes to thrive. We had the pleasure of speaking with German choreographer, performer, filmmaker and School of Dance MFA Modern Dance Graduate, Tanja London.

What do you wish you had known when you were a young artist?
... that technique is not everything.

Techniques are only tools. Sure they are part of your skill set, maybe the daily practice that you fall back to. But if you are seeking to find expression for something specific or something specifically vague, you more or less always venture out to the unknown. While following your curiosity you are stumbling upon things you yet cannot do or understand and in the best case the presenting form that you develop will be informed by these newly carved out skills.

How do you find balance between creating your own art and using your creative talents for other projects (jobs, collaborations, etc.)?
I don’t - and I don’t know if balance is the right concept to think about this. The word balance implies equal opposing parts, but I rather think of how all these elements stand in communication to each other. But honestly, I am still struggling with that as the things that I am interested in so far were no money making ventures.

What’s the most useful advice you were given?
“Make something - then look for a market.”

For a while I was really busy looking at all sorts of offered possibilities ranging from artists in residencies to conferences and tried to bend my ideas into the shape of very specific application perimeters. Although this was a very good writing and ‘honing of my ideas’ exercise, as well as helping to build up my resume, but in the end it kept me from working on the things that really interested me.

Photos courtsey of Tanja London.

Amy McMaster, a School of Dance student in the Ballet program, has been invited to represent the USA in the Cecchetti International Classical Ballet Competition. As a freshman at the U, McMaster is both a ballet major and pre-occupational therapy student, and belongs to the Honors College. She has been selected to represent Cecchetti USA at the upcoming Cecchetti Competition this summer in Florence, Italy. Cecchetti USA is a society in a larger worldwide organization that includes members from Australia, Canada, South Africa, UK, Japan, and Italy.

The Cecchetti Competition takes place every three years. The latest editions were held in 2014 in Richmond, Virginia, where McMaster first represented the U.S. The Cecchetti International aims to preserve, promote, and spread the Cecchetti Method, keeping its essence and historical tradition alive. The Cecchetti Method of ballet training is a progressive system of training dancers from a pre-ballet beginning level to a professional level. The Cecchetti Method was designed with careful regard to the laws of anatomy to prepare a dancer’s body to bear the physical demands of public performance. The Method embodies qualities that are essential to the dancer; balance, poise, strength, elevation, elasticity, musicality and artistry. The progressive approach of the Cecchetti method has produced a long list of very well-known and accomplished ballet dancers. Famous personalities and guests will be invited to take part in the jury process of the competition. Dancers, choreographers, and directors of prestigious vocational schools, along with directors of companies will offer important scholarships and contracts of employment to competitors.

This will be McMaster’s second experience as a competitor for Cecchetti USA, and she has been using the last three years to prepare.

“When I competed in 2014, I knew I would still be young enough to qualify for the 2017 competition, so I viewed it more as a learning experience than anything else; I wanted to know the caliber of the dancers from the other countries so I would be prepared for the next one. For the last three years, my goal has been to become the best dancer I could be so that this time I can be as good as or better than the dancers from professional schools such as English National Ballet School, National Ballet of Canada, etc.”

The dancers are judged on two solos and a classical ballet class. The 15-20 dancers with the top scores will be invited to the finals. At the end of the Finals Gala performance, the jury awards scholarships and awards to the finalist dancers.

This February, the School of Dance at the University of Utah is honored to welcome Gino Grenek of the Stephen Petronio Company for an exciting residency with dancers from both the Modern Dance and Ballet programs. Grenek's work with the company spans over 17 years, and he will work with the dancers to reset Petronio’s seminal work, MiddleSexGorge. This will be the first time the work has ever been performed by a university, and the school is alive with anticipation of this powerful part of the Gala program.

The inclusion of work in the Gala by the groundbreaking company, which celebrated its 30th anniversary just a few years ago, is a wonderful way to celebrate our start as the new School of Dance. It is without question an incredible honor for our students to have the opportunity to perform Petronio’s MiddleSexGorge.

Since founding SPC in 1984, Petronio has created over 35 works for his company and has been commissioned by some of the world’s most prestigious modern and ballet companies, including William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt (1987), Deutsche Oper Berlin (1992), Lyon Opera Ballet (1994), Maggio Danza Florence (1996), Sydney Dance Company (2003, full evening), Norrdans (2006), the Washington Ballet (2007), The Scottish Ballet (2007), and two works for National Dance Company Wales (2010 and 2013).

His career has been greatly influenced by his work with Steve Paxton, as well as his time with the Trisha Brown Dance Company (1979 to 1986), of which he was the first male dancer. He has gone on to build a unique career, receiving numerous accolades, including a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, awards from the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, an American Choreographer Award, a New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award, and most recently a 2015 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award.

Stephen Petronio Company is now working on an unprecedented program, Bloodlines, which will honor a lineage of postmodern dance-masters. Over the course of 5 years SPC will perform choreography from influential artists along with creations by Petronio. Dedicated to the concept of artistic lineage, SPC will be the first contemporary American company to perform these iconic works outside of their original choreographer’s companies.

The School of Dance is thrilled for this unique engagement with the Stephen Petronio Company and looks forward to sharing this exciting program with the Salt Lake community.

Please join us for the School of Dance Gala on 3/23 – 4/1 at the Marriott Center for Dance.

Our creative community here at the College of Fine Arts is diverse and wide spread. With the goal of gaining a deeper knowledge and awareness of the people within our community, we bring you MAGNIFYING, a series dedicated to showcasing the talent of our students, faculty, and staff.

MAGNIFYING Interview #1: Steven Rasmussen, School of Dance

Tell us about yourself: Name, where you are from, what you do and how you got into in your field of work?
My name is Steve Rasmussen, I have lived in California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Montreal, Georgia, New York, Italy, Spain, and Utah. I am an Professor/Lecturer, Costume Shop Director, at the School of Dance, U of U. I started out as a painter, then started leaving the canvas blank and sewing it into shapes.

What has surprised you the most in your life?
What has surprised me is that I’ve been able to make just enough money to be able to travel to many places in the world. I never thought I’d be that fortunate.

What do you wish you had known, been told?
I wish I would have been told to GET OUT THERE AND BE BRAVE at a much younger age. As Joseph Campbell says: Follow your bliss.