Senior Dance Concert: “Out with a Bang”

On Feb. 5-7, 2016 in the McInnis Auditorium, the seniors in the dance department will be presenting pieces that they have choreographed and organized. The show is split over two days, with different dancers featured on each day. On Feb. 5 at 8:00 p.m. and Feb. 6 at 3:00 p.m., the works of Katie Green, Elky Fuentes, and Emilee Carey will be featured. On Feb. 6 at 8:00 p.m. and Feb. 7 at 3:00 p.m. the works of Rachel Travis, Lydia Adams, and Rachael Lyons will be featured. This event costs $5 with your Eastern ID card ($10 for general admission and $5 for senior citizens and children), and you can see both shows with one ticket! As it may be the last senior dance concert due to departmental job losses, the dancers have fittingly titled it  “Out With A Bang.”

Preparation for the show involved a lot of time and effort from the dancers. Not only did the dancers choreograph their own pieces, they also wrote research and self-reflection pieces on their dances. The dancers were also responsible for making decisions about performers, sets, costumes, music, design, and performance lighting. They had guidance throughout this process from their senior seminar advisor, Stephen Welsh. This show gives the dancers an inside look into what goes on behind the scenes of a performance.

Each girl in the show has created a unique piece revolving around something that is deeply personal to her. Lydia Adams will be performing a piece entitled, “Tending the Garden,” which relates gardening to one’s walk with Christ. There is a lot of growth involved in gardening, as well as patience, trials, and tribulation.

Katie Green will be performing a piece entitled “Balance.” Katie is an accounting minor, so she has incorporated themes from her business classes into her performance. Another dancer, Elky Fuentes, has choreographed a piece revolving around the relationship between biology and emotion. Emilee Carey choreographed a number inspired by Shakespeare, while Rachel Travis choreographed a piece about the horrors of child abuse. Rachael Lyons choreographed a piece inspired by her favorite series, “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

The senior dance concert, “Out With a Bang,” is guaranteed to speak to people of all ages. The topics are relevant and moving. This is a way for the dance department to communicate with their audience through their talents. Feb. 5-7, 2016: Don’t forget!