By Laiken Harrigan
Elm Staff Writer
This week, the departments of theatre and dance welcome the public to a blend of performances in the show “Dancescape.” The performances are on Friday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. in the Decker Theatre. Students, faculty, alumni and a special guest will be featured performing their original works.
According to the Washington College website, Carol Hess is the guest dancer who will be showcasing “LightForest” by the Baltimore Dance Project. The piece will be a conglomeration of photography, music, multimedia, and the environment. Each dancer in this performance will wear a Bluetooth device that will carry the music with them on stage.
There are 11 dancers in the performance, and each set will present a variety of dancers and genres. According to A.T. Moffet, director and visiting assistant professor of dance, each dance offers different thematic content; for example, one performance looks at the impact of violence on mothers in society. In another performance, the theme will showcase Broadway style dances in a fun atmosphere. This unique mix of dance styles and story will offer the audience a variation throughout the show.
Senior Anna Gjertsen is featured in Benjamin Cannon’s piece about mothers who have lost their children to violence.
“We’ve all done character research and are portraying different actual mothers. It’s a simple piece, and it becomes about how these women relate to and care for each other,” she said.
Caitlyn Creasy, a sophomore, said, “There was a challenge in the long hours of rehearsal, but they’re so worth it because of the bonds that we form.”
Moffet said the different student dancers and choreographers have a great opportunity in “Dancescape” to work with different faculty and alumni to gain new experience in a supportive and fun environment.
Students also gain insightful feedback from other alumni by working in group performances, she said.
“The dance community here is made up of smart, talented, and generous students who love to dance. It is a great community where students with a lot of experience or with very little can come together and celebrate dance,” Moffet said.
Although each of the dances dealt with different themes, there were some unifying factors.
“There’s the same idea of characters and relationships; each dance portrays that in a different way, and the impact we have on each other. There’s an interesting, eclectic mix of dance and choreographer styles,” Gjertsen said.
Each semester, the Dance Department holds a showing of in-class work from the dance classes. This year’s showcase is on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. in the Tawes Theatre.