Mesa State’s dance majors are putting on their dancing shoes for the highly anticipated repertory dance concert, Fall into Dance on Dec. 10 and 11.
“There is no overall theme. It is an eclectic concert. There is jazz and hip hop,several different styles of modern dance, and there is a holiday tap piece,” Box Office Director Laura Bradley said.
The show consists of eleven pieces; four choreographed by students, three by guest artists, and four by faculty members.
Gracing Mesa State’s campus this year, are guest choreographers Caitlin Gray and Patty Foster of New York City and a a third guest piece by local choreographer Liz Verrtros.
Sierra Myers is a senior dance major and one of the student choreographers.
“When we did our auditions for Patty, the audition was amazing; she was fantastic. She knew exactly what she wanted to do, and cranked it all out. Her piece is fabulous, it is very modern and a completely different style. She actually danced for multiple famous companies in New York,” Myers said. “Caitlin works in New York and has her own studio there. She is amazing and will be doing the jazz piece.”
Myers will have her piece “Taken by Storm” featured in the show as a student produced piece. After competing with 14 other students for a spot in the show, Myers was ecstatic when she learned that her piece would be performed on the main stage.
“Usually students will rehearse twice a week to prepare for the show, each rehearsal is a couple hours each and they’ve been rehearsing since late August,” Bradley said.
“We all get so many allotted hours for the studio, and my rehearsals were Saturdays from 5-7 and Sundays from 10-11. So that came to three hours as week,” Myers said. “No one really understands just how much time goes into it.”
As a student choreographer, they decide everything from who is in their cast, the costume design and even have input on lighting for their pieces.
“We basically design everything. The students ultimately decide what they want. We have a costume designer, Mark (Matthews); he does a lot and is very helpful. We give suggestions to the lighting crew and they are fabulous,” Myers said.
After months of preparation, Myers said that it is typical for a choreographer to be dissatisfied with her work until it is performed on the main stage.
“It’s weird, because normally as a choreographer, you don’t like your pieces very much until they go on stage, but I love mine now. It’s really new for me because I didn’t like my piece from last semester at all until it was on stage. But I think liking my piece has to do with having such a strong cast.”
Acting/directing major Matt Corbett is a performer in the show as well and has had his choreography shown in previous dance concerts.
“Students don’t typically dance within their own pieces, they choreograph and they watch their dancers.”
Myers had similar views.
“Most choreographers choose not to perform within their own pieces. I have choose to not perform in mine, and it is a lot easier to teach that way too,” she said.
The show also has many entertaining aspects with high energy dances like the piece set by Gray.
“It’s definitely a crowd pleaser” Laura Stroman, a sophomore, said. She is also a dance major who dances in Gray’s piece.
“The audience won’t like it if were not having fun,” Stroman said.
This mixture of talent and dedication make for an anything-but-normal, highly energized and entertaining event.
Prices for the show are $6 for students, $8 for faculty and $10 for adults. There are three shows happening Dec. 10-11 at 7:30 p.m. and a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
lbell@mesastate.edu
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