Dance Opens 25th Anniversary Celebration with Shared Space Concert

(Story by Tram Bui ’14)

The Gustavus Department of Theater and Dance will present Shared Space….Connections in Space, a student-directed dance concert on December 6-8 in Gustavus’s Kresge Dance Studio. This concert ushers in the 25^th anniversary of the Gustavus Dance Company, and will be led and directed by seniors Katherine Arndt, Hollie Edlund, Rachel Johnson, and Sophia Ogren-Dehn. The show will also consist of ten student-choreographers and approximately forty dancers. As part of the anniversary celebration, audience members are encouraged to donate $3 to a fundraiser geared towards the Gustavus Dance Company. Tickets are available at the SAO desk and online at gustavusticket.com.

While the dancers are guided by faculty advisor and Professor of Theater and Dance Melissa Rolnick, the show is largely directed, choreographed, and danced by students. The students are given freedom in how they structure and develop their pieces. This allows for each piece to have a unique interpretation and intention behind it.

Entitled Shared Space . . . Connections in Space, the theme of this year’s show encompasses the diversity of the choreographers’ personal styles and ideas and focuses on the relationships between people and their environment. “[The directors] came up with the title after seeing how the works progressed. A lot of pieces involve looking for connections and relationships between people and space. While they are done in different ways, they all connect to each other,” Johnson said.

“We perform in a small dance studio. It’s a very intimate space,” Edlund said.

In addition to the group performances, the show will also consist of trios, duets, and a director’s work involving an array of musician Beyoncé’s dance performances. “This show will be great for students who don’t understand dance. It’s not as abstract as the spring show. We try to make it cool, and it’s very fun,” Edlund said.

Showings of the performances will take place Dec. 6-8 at 8:00 p.m. with an additional showing on Saturday Dec. 8^th at 2:00 p.m. in Kresge Dance Studio. A free preview will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 5^th. Attendees are encouraged to donate $3 to a fundraiser geared towards the Gustavus Dance Company. Tickets are available at the SAO desk and online at gustavusticket.com.