Concert celebrates 100 years of UO dance
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EUGENE—(April 2, 2012)—The year 2012 marks a century of the University of Oregon dance curriculum, and the UO Repertory Dance Company is celebrating with its annual “at home” concert, scheduled for 8 p.m. on April 20 and 21 in the Dougherty Dance Theatre on the third floor of the Gerlinger Annex on the UO campus. This year’s concert will salute the contributions of the dance department’s music director faculty position.
Tickets are $10 general, $5 for students and seniors, available at the door or in advance from the UO Ticket Office in the Erb Memorial Union, 1222 E. 13th Avenue, 541-346-4363 or tickets.uoregon.edu.
“Dance courses at the University of Oregon were offered as early as 1912, and pre-date the first academic dance major programs in the country by more than a decade,” says dance department chair Jenifer Craig.
The UORDC is also a touring company, and will take its show on the road this spring to forge community partnerships throughout Oregon. On April 25-28 the company is in its 5th year in residence at North Bend High School and North Bend Middle School, and will perform at Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay on April 28.
In addition, the company will return to Central Point, Ore. for a residency at the Crater Renaissance Academy on May 16-19.
UORDC 2012 features stellar work by UO dance majors who have worked with a select group of artists including dance faculty and guests to present an evening of imaginative and athletic dancing.
As part of the centennial celebration, the 2012 UORDC concert salutes the three music directors who have worked as part of the dance department faculty since 1959: Bruno Madrid, Jeffrey Stolet and current music director Christian Cherry.
Funding for a faculty position specifically designed to coordinate musical accompaniment for dance performances is rare in the higher education arena, but the UO’s dance program has enjoyed over a half-century of inspiration and music education courtesy of its dance director position.
“It has been an amazing gift for me to personally learn from and work with each of these consummate musicians, who have given significant portions of their talent to the dance department,” said Craig. “From my first class with Bruno in 1968 when I myself was a UO student, I have been grateful for these gentlemen and to this department for securing this important position.”
Cherry will give a live performance touching on the concepts of collaboration and process in dance, and on the poetics of dance.
Stolet will present “Light,” a piece for two flashlights and video analysis software, created during a 2008 residency at Sichuan Conservatory of Music after a massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the province. Stolet saw tremendous acts of human courage, bravery and heroism as the Sichuan residents picked one another up, and through their tears attacked the enormous challenges posed by the quake with amazing optimism and determination.
The choreographies presented in UORDC will also highlight the work of local guest artist Cynthia Gutierez-Garner, who focuses on contemporary modern dance and American concert jazz dance. Gutierez-Garner’s work has been produced in numerous venues, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
UO graduate student Rachel Winchester will present her work “Becky: Nothing to do in this hick town,” which resulted from experimental process of character development. UO dance faculty members Brad Garner, Rita Honka, Walter Kennedy and Shannon Mockli will also present an eclectic body of work full of imagination, energy, emotion, dynamic partnering and some funk.
More information on the UO Department of Dance is located at music.uoregon.edu/dance.
LINK: http://music.uoregon.edu
Gwen Curran of the Register-Guard reviews UORDC's 2012 "at-home" concert, May 20-21, "Varied performances entertaining: UO's Repertory Dance Company kicks off the season with style and grace." Check it out at http://www.registerguard.com/web/livinglifestyles/27937396-41/dance-music-director-oregon-professor.html.csp