The University of Wisconsin Dance Department presented their first few shows of the annual “Faculty Concert” at Lathrop Hall this weekend. This spirited concert featured choreography from department faculty and staff.
The concert featured seven performances by UW dance majors which dynamically explored themes such as justice and exclusion. Faculty, staff and guest choreographer Charles O. Anderson, who is a professor and the chair of the Department of Dance at Ohio State, choreographed the performances.
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The energetic concert began with the premier of “The Burning Barn,” which was created as a response to the “Sifting and Reckoning” exhibit at the Chazen. Choreographed by Chris Walker, the performance uses images and poetry in conjunction with dance to discuss the history of discrimination at UW, while highlighting efforts made for progress and the perseverance of early trailblazers for civil rights.
Additional performances titled “Troubled Water” (2007), “Foreground Noise” and “Digging” featured detailed dance performances which combined audio and text with intense lighting to fully immersed viewers into the experience. “Foreground Noise” explored the constant noisiness of the human mind, which complemented “Digging,” a playful performance that discussed the known and unknown.
After a brief intermission, dancers performed works titled “With/In” and “Blossom” with a sense of introspection and vigor, all while exploring time, memory and change. Concluding the concert was “Manifesting Destiny: A ⅗ Proclamation.”
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Anderson, in collaboration with the dancers, choreographed the finale of the concert. This performance highlighted themes of equal rights and systematic discrimination of all people in society, but particularly the experiences of women and how they navigate patriarchy and misogyny.
The UW Dance Department will host the concert again Feb. 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m., all in Lathrop Hall. Tickets can be purchased on the Campus Arts Ticketing website.
