The University of Iowa presents the UI Department of Dance Capstone Projects -- April 30.
Friday, April 30, 8 p.m.
Presented by the University of Iowa
A septet of thrilling, evocative dance pieces will be performed virtually on April 30 when the University of Iowa's Department of Dance presents its annual capstone projects in concert form, with this year's performances boasting short works by seven BFA candidates who are already gifted and imaginative choreographers.
In addition to Laren Chang's BFA project isn't she enough, the April 30 event will boast Alexandra Recht's all my love, Allie, which its choreographer calls “a work that explores resiliency, healing, and hope in the wake of trauma” in which “I present to you my full self, unfiltered, as I do my best to make something beautiful out of the darkness.” 100 Days is the capstone project by Sarah McCluskey, a piece in which, says the choreographer, “I filmed myself improvising every day, for 100 days. This served as a mental and physical check-in to process and acknowledge my well-being for that day. Movement from each of these videos has been choreographed into five short works, each displaying how I experienced the five stages of change during the 100 days.”
As described by its choreographer Tatum Beyon, Yet Another Skin to Shed is “an abstract on the personal experience of growth and change. Experientially driven, this piece captures the complex, confusing, and chaotic feelings that arise amidst transition, healing, and moving on.” Choreographer Erin Evans, meanwhile, states that her piece In Commune With “is the product of my exploration of how human lived experiences mimic the natural world around us. I spent time learning about dendrochronology, the study of growth rings in trees, and used that knowledge to try to discover what the human equivalent of a growth ring is. I believe people, just like trees, hold on to events and experiences for their whole lives, and that shapes the person they are constantly growing into.”
Danica Clayton's project is titled As long as I am, and as its choreographer explains, “This process started at least a year ago with the original concept of breath and how it has served my life by guiding emotions and how it changed my life as I saw new life and death. From there, I researched the function of breath and types of breath, as well as improvisation techniques. I used inspiration from scientific research and personal experience as prompts for improvisational movement. The movement was captured on film and translated into choreographed phrases. The piece starts at the end of the breath and ends at the beginning of the breath, a new beginning.”
And describing her capstone project Solidarity, choreographer Isabella Buscaglia states, “Creating this work has been a very special and intimate experience for me. From reflection to research to creation, each aspect of this piece holds a special place in my heart. Art inspires art and I tried to capture that shared experience in this piece. Chicago is also my home – it’s where I was born, where I live, and where I first fell in love with dance. The city has crafted me into the artist I am today, and for that I am so thankful.”
The UI Department of Dance's virtual performance on April 30 begins at 8 p.m., and tickets for the free presentation are not required. For more information, call (319)335-2228 and visit VirtualDanceStudio.uiowa.edu.
