Dance program celebrates season with spring concert

Choreography by Alan Sener, protégé of modern choreographer Louis Falco, along with works by Dance Program artists will be showcased in the Spring Dance Concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 24–26, in the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space at Lathrop Hall.

Included is a new group work, created by Sener during his three-week guest artist residency on campus, which will be performed by 10 Dance Program students. Titled and loosely based on the concept of “Tipping Point,” Sener describes the work “as a musical visualization of how things build, reach a critical mass, and then dissipate.” The work is accompanied by “Hallelujah Junction for Two Pianos” by composer John Adams.

Sener is the chair of the University of Iowa Department of Dance, where he teaches modern dance technique, improvisation and choreography. In addition to Sener’s new work for UW–Madison dancers, several other premieres will be featured in the concert. The program includes:

• “Watching Watching” (premiere), a solo by New York-based contemporary choreographer Bebe Miller will be performed by Li Chiao-Ping. According to The Village Voice, “Miller is a tender visionary, a subtle social and political commentator.” This new work is of seven solos choreographed specifically for Li for her “Women Dancing” project.
• “Journey” (premiere), a group work choreographed by Jin-Wen Yu featuring contemporary ballet set to lyrical music by Franz Schubert.
  Yu also reprises “On Horseback” (1995), a spacious, dynamic and highly energetic group work featuring Mongolian dance performed to Chinese Folk Music.
• “Tenki Sah,” a solo choreographed and performed by Chris Walker, depicts the confusion and clarity encountered on the path of a spiritual journey.
  Walker also choreographed a large group work for his African Performance class, “Of Lapas, Skirts and Leggings,” based on traditional African-Caribbean rhythms and songs.
• “giANT city ache” (premiere), a group work choreographed by Karen McShane-Hellenbrand with original score by Joseph Koykkar, explores often illusory and distorted individual and collective driving forces that dictate the pace of urban living.
• “Catch and Release” (premiere), choreographed by Maureen Janson, is a subtle, surprising, raw, delicate and athletic duet with a haunting, Irish-influenced original score by Joe Townsend.

Tickets for the Spring Program Concert are $15 for the general public and $10 for students except on Thursday when student tickets are $5. All tickets will be sold at the door. For more information, call 262-1691.