Dance Department to take audience through time and space

The Dance Department celebrates its new autonomy as a UW department during UW–Madison’s Year of the Arts with its two-night Fall Faculty Concert Upswing at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 19 and 20, at the Wisconsin Union Theater.

In addition to the concert, the Dance Department is putting on a weekend of dancing Nov. 19–21 as part of the Year of the Arts at the Memorial Union. “Dancing…All Weekend Long” will include a showcase from 16 student dance organizations and several free introductory dance classes of all dance styles will be offered.

Upswing will premiere two nights of inspiring and diverse dance works set to riveting, live music moving the audience through time and space, both figuratively and literally, exploring dreams, memories, universal human connections and the physical space of the theater. New pieces will examine the cultural issues surrounding immigration, the historic events of the Vietnam War and gender concerns of the 21st century woman. .

The concert is set to show two nights at the Wisconsin Union Theater. Jin-Wen Yu, department chair, says, “We all agreed that reaching out into the community to share the experience of our faculty concert performances with students and other local Madisonians would be a terrific way to celebrate.”

Laurie Fellenz, Teacher Leader of the Fine Arts Division of the Madison Metropolitan School District worked with Yu and other staff at the Dance Department to distribute tickets to the performances to local high school students.

Upswing will feature a diverse set of eight captivating dance works:

• “Here/So (12 lines),” a new work comprised of personal imagery, memories and dreams, created by New York guest artist Bill Young in collaboration with student dance artists.
• Li Chiao-Ping’s “ETA Movements No. 2” explores passages of time and space and the fleeting as well as lasting images which occur in our dreams and memories and will be accompanied by composer/performers Patrick Reinholz and Ben Willis of the Weather Duo.
• Chris Walker’s “The people who came,” episode 3 of the 7 part episodic work “E Pluribus Unum.” It will showcase immigration stories through poetry, music and dance.
• Peggy Choy’s “Boxher,” a work exploring the inner terrain of what it means to be a 21st century woman, inspired by champion boxer Muhammad Ali.
• An edgy, contemporary ballet based on Saint Saen’s classic “The Dying Swan” choreographed by Marlene Skog to a score recomposed by Carol Carlson.
• Kate Corby will present a new site-specific work for five dancers, performed both prior to the show and during intermission in the lobby spaces of the Wisconsin Union Theater. The choreography for this piece was developed through research on the theater’s unique architectural and social history and will be accompanied by an original score by local composer Tim Russell.
• Karen McShane-Hellenbrand’s “Quintessence” is a piece that reflects the choreographer and dancers’ expression and embodiment of awe, wonder and spirit. Through written reflections the dancers explored universal connections that humans share.
• Yu’s “Into Sunlight,” a poetic modern dance interpreting Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss’ “They Marched Into Sunlight,” a look at of the historic events of the Vietnam war.

Tickets are $18 general public and $10 students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased in advance through Campus Arts Ticketing box office; by phone, at 265-ARTS (265–2787); or in person at the Wisconsin Union Theater box office. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door. There is reserved seating.

There will be a post-performance reception Nov. 19 with the artists, students and staff in the Main Lounge, Memorial Union.