The Ohio University School of Dance will host the Spring Dance Concert tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. in the Shirley Wimmer Dance Theater in Putnam Hall.
The concert will feature various works from School of Dance faculty and students, as well as guest artists.
Michael O’Neill, a sophomore studying dance, said the Spring Dance Concert allows for the school’s students to have the opportunity for their pieces to be performed on stage with lighting and a full audience. Students choreographed four pieces that will be showcased during the show.
O’Neill and Earlyn Whitehead, a sophomore studying dance, choreographed one dance piece called “Rack Em,” which was filmed by freshman video major Michael Mytnick.
The piece is a compositional study that requires the use of sound from a prop to complete the performance. O’Neill and Whitehead chose to wear tight body suits that consist of panels of Velcro that will interact while they dance.
“Most of my costume had the rough side of the Velcro on it, whereas Earlyn’s had most of the soft side,” O’Neill said. “So that whenever we interacted on a physical level, we would get stuck together and would therefore have to pull off of each other with a lot of strength, which caused the Velcro to make that beautiful ripping sound.”
Steven Evans, a sophomore studying dance and middle childhood education major, said students have worked on perfecting their pieces for the past seven weeks. That work culminates with two nights’ performances that last an hour and a half at the longest.
Whitehead said that the time spent rehearsing is worth the outcome of the concert because it showcases the School of Dance’s skill.
“I think the Spring Dance Concert will demonstrate what the School of Dance strives for: creative and thorough composition,” Whitehead said. “The pieces in this concert are interesting in their own aspect, yet entertaining and intriguing for the audiences.”
Tickets are $8 or free for Ohio University students with a valid student ID thanks to funding from Arts for Ohio.
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