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So Modern

Dance students take the stage

Jane Haley

Aerial balletics were on display in one of the many arrestingly choreographed pieces in “Strands in Motion,” a fall dance concert that showcased original work by both faculty and students.

Encompassing two styles, modern and belly dance, the event explored a variety of themes. In her aerial composition, dance lecturer Rose P. Beauchamp explored flow and flight, using fabric hung from the ceiling to aid the dancers’ motion.

Dance instructor Keira Hart’s “To Have and To Hold” was a meditation on men and women and their constant searching and wanting—to be seen, held and loved. Using the language of movement, students created pieces that explored concepts as various as the fall of man, the passage of time and the power of conforming to standards. Colleen Shendow (Col ’10), who is minoring in dance, created a modern composition about the property of cells, using blue and green squishy balls.

The fall concert at Culbreth Theatre was the second such performance since the University created a dance program within the College of Arts & Sciences in 2004, at the urging of students.

Jane Haley