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Beth
Ramsey | The Appalachian
Rashael
Cain, Kathryn Weaver, Emily Montague and Anna Sitting (l-r)
are a part of the Appalachian Dance Ensemble's spring concert
opening tommorrow night and running through Saturday. Performances
begin at 8 p.m. in Farthing Auditorium, and promise to incorporate
many musical genres.
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by Stephanie Marshall
Staff Writer
The Appalachian Dance Ensemble performs its spring concert tomorrow
through Saturday in Farthing Auditorium.
Director and assistant professor of dance Susan W. Lutz said Appalachian
State University does not offer a dance major, but instead a dance
minor.
“We feel it’s a very strong minor and an important part
of the dance experience is the performing experience,” she
said Friday. “We do a major performance every fall and spring.”
“The program is over 20 years old and started with faculty
members that are no longer here, but it has certainly grown in its
scope over the past 10 years,” Lutz said.
“I have been involved with dance shy of two years and other
kinds of dance all my life. I was part of the ensemble last year
and it rocked my world. Every dancer should have this chance,”
student choreographer and senior music industry studies major Joel
M. Stroup said last Friday.
“This year’s production has eight dances which are very
diverse. It has everything from modern to pretty hard-core jazz
to another dance with live music,” Lutz said.
Lutz said there are seven faculty members involved with this year’s
production.
Three of the seven faculty members, Laurie Atkins, Regina Gulick-James
and Rebecca Keeter, will collaborate with the Celtic band Sunday’s
Well for one dance piece.
Faculty member Steffie Beard is choreographing an intense fusion
of modern and jazz dance for one piece.
“I am collaborating with theater faculty member Anna Ward,
and we are doing a dance theater piece, using both dance and theater
students. It is a comical look at self improvement and what we all
do to try and improve ourselves,” Lutz said.
Lutz said in this year’s production there will be four dances
choreographed by students.
“We feel it’s important for the students to not only
be able to perform, but also to have the opportunity to choreograph
as well,” Lutz said.
The student choreographers are Stroup, Sarah Burkhart, Lindsay Scarborough
and Melissa H. Smith.
Stroup’s dance is a quartet of women displaying the human
identity cycle and a struggle for meaning with a spiritual aspect
to it.
Burkhart’s piece uses country music influences with a funny
and light-hearted aspect.
Scarborough’s piece will involve a marimba and a disc jockey
with dancers performing to live music by John Leupold and Marley
Carol.
Smith’s dance is a fast paced modern piece portraying the
pressure of everyday life.
“I have danced all my life and became interested in choreographing,"
student choreographer and senior elementary education major Smith
said Friday. "My dance is about the four-year accumulation
of pressure in a college student’s life. The girls I am working
with have been really respective of me.”
“The program is really well balanced in terms of serious pieces
and more light-hearted, enjoyable comical pieces,” Lutz said.
“People who are not interested or stereotype modern dance
will be surprised how much they will enjoy our show,” dancer
and sophomore advertising major Christine E. Wesche said last Friday.
“Appalachian is very lucky to have as many talented students
as we do.
"These dance students have spent so much time, energy, passion,
love and commitment in doing this, and I think just like a good
football game we should all support each other in our endeavors,”
Lutz said.
Tickets are $6 for students and $10 for the public.
For more information, contact the Farthing Auditorium box office
at 262-4046.
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