Seniors display talent

by Brynn Burton

Seniors of Ohio University’s School of Dance will show off years of practice from their college career this weekend at the fall Senior Dance Concert.

The collaborative concert showcasing the works of OU seniors runs at 7 p.m and again at 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Putnam Studio Theater. Tickets are $5 and are available at the Kantner Hall box office.

The concert is part of the senior seminar class, Dance 480.

“We are graded on this concert and how well we worked with our performers,” senior Donna Belmont said. “The concept of our idea comes from what we have learned from our years in the school.

Associate professor Mickie Gellar said the seniors choreograph the pieces, organize the show and publicize it themselves under her and faculty guidance.

“It is the culminating project of the student’s career,” she said “It is our version of an undergrad thesis and is required for graduation.”

Belmont will be performing her piece, a group quartet called ••If Only I Were Strong •• to a German techno track. Her piece is to resemble a human puzzle assembling before the audience’s eyes.

“A lot of effort is put into the show,” she said. “Not only are students choreographing, they are also performing and doing their own lighting, costumes and auditions.”

In addition to their piece, seniors also have a job that is part of the total production.

“We all have positions in running the show, for example I am in charge of the press and promoting the show, some put together music, and others deal with the technical part,” Belmont said. “It is as if we were putting on our own concert in the real world.”

Belmont said seniors begin preparing for their piece the first week of the quarter by holding auditions for dancers and practicing three times a week.

“Every choreographer trains differently,” she said. “ I based my dance off a poem and from that drew ideas — it is different for every performer.”

Belmont said the majority of the concert is performed in modern dance with different tones.

“One student is dancing to classical guitar and another to Nine Inch Nails,” she said.

Senior Molly Schneider will be portraying facets of her personality in her first solo she created by herself. The piece is called ••Car Rides•• to a David Bowie song rearranged classically with the cello, piano and violin.

In addition to working on her performance, Schneider is the concert coordinator.

“I make the whole thing happen,” she said. “It is hard in that if something goes wrong everyone points at you. I have to answer for everything and answer to everyone, but it is great because I get to have my hands in everything.”

Belmont said the concert is usually well attended and often sells out.

“The show is a great way to see students work and all the different personalities,” she said. “The show isn’t just one choreographer’s work. You see all different forms of dance from disciplined movements to comedic dance.”