Performance Dec. 1-3 displays talents of 10 emerging choreographers, with more than 60 dancers
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Allentown, Pa. (Nov. 18, 2022) \u2014 Muhlenberg College dancers explore personal experiences and narratives through movement, as the Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance Department presents \u201cReset: New Dances,\u201d Dec. 1-3 in the college\u2019s Baker Theatre.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the major themes of \u2018Reset: New Dances\u2019 is this questioning of what dance has been and what dance can be,\u201d says artistic director Natalie Gotter, a member of Muhlenberg\u2019s dance faculty. \u201cThe dancers have a wide range of interests \u2014 and putting these interests on the stage really allows the audience to know more about who our students are and how they approach the field of dance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Working closely with the 10 student choreographers, Gotter has witnessed firsthand the ways they are investigating their experiences through their dance works.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat really excites me about working with this community is getting to see all different perspectives,\u201d Gotter says. \u201cOur dancers bring a huge variety of backgrounds and movement perspectives to this process. I get to see how we, as a community, are thinking about dance \u2014 which is really exciting to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Along with the unique movement profiles, Gotter emphasizes the wide range of genres that audiences will see, including tap, hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, modern, and improvisation. The works will explore a variety of themes, such as partnership and friendship, sleep cycle research, and even corporate business culture.<\/p>\n
Choreographer Bella Pansera \u201923 was inspired to create her piece after studying abroad in Italy. The experience provoked consideration of what it means to call a place \u201chome.\u201d Their collaborative work explores this concept from the dancers\u2019 perspectives, using physical objects.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery few months I have to recreate home in a new place,\u201d Pansera says, \u201cso the piece is also exploring what it means to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her modern piece, choreographer Nicola Ferro \u201923 investigates self-care through movement. As a dancer with a chronic illness, Ferro explores her own approach to movement and the work she does every day to alleviate tension and pain. She encourages her dancers to explore their own practices of self-care through choreographic phrases.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really interested in reimagining the way we consume dance,\u201d Ferro says. \u201cThis piece is really about the dancer\u2019s experience \u2014 it\u2019s more of a ritual that we are inviting an audience to be part of than it is a dance that\u2019s being performed for the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Choreographer Dani Medvedovski \u201924 derives influence for her work from the recent loss of her grandfather. The piece explores both the heartbreak and the sense of community that can emerge from grief.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt provides an alternate perspective on sadness and how it has potential to generate isolation and numbness, but also community and reconnection,\u201d says Medvedovski.<\/p>\n
Other featured choreographers include Ruthy Freeberg \u201923, Emma Giordano \u201923, Marissa Haluch \u201923, Riley Hammett \u201924, Lily Knowles \u201923, Claire Spenard \u201923, and Des Suarez \u201923. Marissa Cohen \u201925 serves as the associate artistic director. Paul E. Theisen Jr. designs lights, and Kiana Grella \u201923 designs costumes.<\/p>\n
\u201cReset: New Dances\u201d runs Dec. 1-3 in the Baker Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown.<\/b><\/p>\n
Performances are Thursday and Friday, Dec. 1-2, at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 3, at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults; $8 for patrons 17 and under; and $8 for students, faculty and staff of all LVAIC colleges.<\/p>\n
Tickets and information are available at 484-664-3333 or\u00a0muhlenberg.edu\/seeashow<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n About the Muhlenberg College Theatre & Dance Department About Muhlenberg College <\/p>\n Information Provided By: <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Performance Dec. 1-3 displays talents of 10 emerging choreographers, with more than 60 dancers Allentown, Pa. (Nov. 18, 2022) \u2014 Muhlenberg College dancers explore personal experiences and narratives through movement, … Continue reading \u2018Reset: New Dances\u2019 Concert Showcases Innovative, Conceptual Dance Works<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/b>Muhlenberg offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in theatre and dance. The Princeton Review ranked Muhlenberg\u2019s theatre program in the top twelve in the nation for eight years in a row, and Fiske Guide to Colleges lists both the theatre and dance programs among the top small college programs in the United States. Muhlenberg is one of only eight colleges to be listed in Fiske for both theatre and dance.<\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/b>Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private, four-year residential, liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of approximately 2,200 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and master\u2019s degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.<\/p>\n
\nScott Snyder
\nMarketing Manager
\nMuhlenberg College Department of Theatre & Dance<\/p>\n
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