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Members of the Orchesis student dance company rehearsing are (left to right) Kaitlin Gravante, Alessandra Kivinen, Mindy Sutton, Melissa Ceraldi and Rose Beard. |
“Dance VIA Orchesis Redux”will feature a program performed jointly by SUNY Fredonia students and VIA dancers. Performances are scheduled for Dec. 6 and 7 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 8 at 2 and 8 p.m. in Marvel Theatre at the Rockefeller Arts Center. The program includes new works by VIA company members Grady Bowman, Dawn Poirier, Katie Swords and Adrienne Westwood.
VIA Dance Collaborative, hailed as “a breath of fresh air and a welcome new force in the New York dance community,” is returning for its second joint program with Orchesis.
As with their last residency project in 2004-05, VIA and Orchesis will create a joint program that features professionals and students dancing side-by-side in a diverse program featuring a variety of dance styles including contemporary ballet, jazz, and modern dance.
Formed through founding member Adrienne Westwood’s 2003-04 Kenan Fellowship at the Lincoln Center Institute for Arts in Education, VIA has made a commitment to provide students with meaningful personal experiences in a variety of settings.
In the few short years since its founding, VIA has performed more than 30 times in New York City and has traveled to four states and two countries. Last summer, it performed on the Inside/Out series at the world-famous Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, Mass.
VIA works with individual teachers and institutions to create programs tailored to the needs and abilities of the students. Its members have taught at all levels, from Montessori schools to universities and conservatories.
VIA choreographers have been making periodic visits to the campus since August to create works with members of Orchesis. Rather than just teaching the students existing company repertoire, VIA’s choreographers are creating brand new works with the students and allowing them to participate in the creative process.
“This concert is full of invigorating dancing and unexpected twists,” said Production Design major GinaMarie Epping of Webster, president of Orchesis. “It has been a wonderful experience working with VIA Dance Collaborative and we are so excited to show it off.”
For tickets, persons should visit the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center or call 716-673-3501.
