The dance Shiny Things for the Mind, choreographed by Gustavus Visiting Instructor in Dance Cynthia Gutierrez-Garner and danced by nine Gustavus students, earned the finale spot in the recent American College Dance Festival Association’s North Central Regional Festival Gala performance. The conference, held at the University of Minnesota, was attended by twenty-three colleges and universities from the Midwest to California. In all, over 400 dancers participated in the 34 dances which were adjudicated during the festival, March 19 – 22.
“This is my love song to modern dance,” commented choreographer Cynthia Gutierrez-Garner about her work. The 400 participants in attendance enthusiastically concurred. The shouts of recognition, laughter and applause temporarily turned the dignified adjudicated concert into an environment more akin to a rock concert.
The dancers performing in the festival were Siu On Auyeung, Brandon Buesgens, Christine Dornbusch, Shawn Grygo, Patrick Jeffrey, Ryan Mather, Mariah McGill, Jill Van Osdol, and Kayla Winter. Shiny Thing for the Mind featured costume design by Angie Vo, lighting design by Terena Wilkens, and Power Point design by Micah Maatman.
The ACDFA conferences provide the unique opportunity for students and faculty to have their dance works adjudicated by a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals in an open and constructive forum. The process culminates with the presentation of pieces selected for their exemplary artistic quality in a Gala concert. The Gustavus submission, Shiny Things for the Mind, was selected not only to be in the Gala Concert but to close the entire concert. These conferences are the primary means for college and university dance programs to perform outside their own academic setting and be exposed to the diversity of the national college dance world.
This is the second year in a row, the Gustavus Dance program has been selected for exemplary artistic quality and included in the Conference’s Gala performance. With the national conference held every other year, selection to perform in the Gala is the highest recognition the students, faculty and dance program can receive.
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