NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State University Department of Theatre and Dance will present a spring dance concert “Emerge” on Feb. 25-27 in the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium.
The performances on Feb. 25 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. are for NSU students and faculty only. The Feb. 26 show at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 27 performance at 2 p.m. are for the general public only. Seating is limited to 75 per performance due to safety guidelines. Reservations can be made in advance by calling (318) 357-4483. Tickets are donation based only. A link to a livestream will be available through Feb. 28.
“Emerge” will feature diverse works that speak to different dance styles including classical ballet, contemporary, modern, tap and jazz. There is also a number that will highlight students in musical theatre. Choreography is by dance faculty Brett Alan Garfinkel, Michael Lomeka, Kirstin Riehl and Rebecca Morgan.
Members of the NSU Dance Company are Erin Fallis of Pineville, Emily Ricalde of New Orleans, Sara Grace Duplessis of Prairieville, Vilma Castro of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Alphonse Shine of DeRidder, Abigail Miller of Slidell, Mary Scott Pourciau, Sarah Talbot and Hannah Knoff of Baton Rouge, Ashley Henry of Slidell, Adele Hebert of Lafayette, Mary Strickland of Metairie, Maci Burt of Mandeville, Carleigh Murphy of Meadville, Pennsylvania, Alexz Hattier of Slidell, Haleigh Giorlando-Wall and Julia Kuchler of New Orleans, Tara Lane of Little Rock, Arkansas, D’Sherrick Williams of Marshall, Texas, Julia and Chase Crane of Livingston.
Members of the vocal ensemble are Joy Davis of Minden, Milla Gonzales and Tristan Dotson of Shreveport, Christian Osborne of Plaquemine, Ashley Stevens of Baton Rouge, Virginia Tudor of Alexandria, Grant Broussard of Abbeville, Trevor Brown of New Orleans, Dylan Fuslier of Chalmette and Williams.
The concert will include “Wait For It” and “BANG!” choreographed by Lomeka, “Shattered Perspectives” choreographed by Riehl and “The Secret” and “What the Bell” choreographed by Garfinkel.
“Wait For It” is a musical selection from the Broadway show “Hamilton: An American Musical,” which won 11 Tony Awards. The choreography examines the nuances of an intimate, romantic relationship. Dynamics such as trust and manipulation are examined in this choreographic offering.
“BANG!” delves into the complex landscape of societal norms. This piece questions order and predictability in society. Lomeka said the ideas of burden and façade were at the forefront of his creative roadmap.
Riehl said “Shattered Perspectives” was created with the precis; stop defining yourself under the constraints of age, race, sex, geographical locations, occupation and religion.
“We are much larger than any of these things and one often loses their true identity and purpose under these labels,” said Riehl. “To be our true authentic self you must live life outside these confinements and realize that our intuition, life force, spirit is bursting to get out of our limited physical form.”
“The Secret” was originally choreographed in 2017.
“The work explores how we respond when we feel someone is keeping something from us,” said Garfinkel. “There is a dramatic, eerie and mysterious vibe of the work. The new rendition highlights the new performers while staying true to the structure of the original work.”
Garfinkel said the inspiration for “What the Bell!” came from the MOMIN Dance Company.
“I was interested in collaborating with a costume designer utilizing shape in an interested and different way,” he said. “Sydney Ryder designed the costumes which help accentuate a shape of a bell. This is an abstract work that explores the way shapes move and utilizes projection to create color and texture.”
