Spring Dance 2021 Newsletter

SPRING DANCE 2021

Featuring Faculty Choreographers Adam Barruch, Robbie Cook, Claire Porter and Alexandra Williamson

and Guest Choreographers Jesse Obremski and David Parker Spring Faculty Dance Concert April 23-25, 2021

Dance Concert Symposium April 16, 2021

Friday @ 8 PM LIVE STREAMED from the Toni and Martin Sosnoff Theater on Hofstra University’s YouTube channel

Friday @ 1 PM On Zoom Meeting ID: 972 6462 3457 Passcode: 256779

All Events are FREE!

Saturday @ 8 PM and Sunday @ 2 PM Available on Twitch.tv/HofstraDD

Jesse Obremski

Jenny Holub

Alexandra Williamson

HOFSTRA DANCE RETURNS TO THE STAGE

With tremendous enthusiasm, Hofstra Dance majors return to the J.C. Adams Playhouse this spring to present dance works choreographed during these challenging Covid times. Because of our many safety protocols, two of the six pieces will be presented as video dances and the remaining four will be live-streamed from the theater with an extremely limited number of audience members in attendance. I am very grateful to all the choreographers, composers, our videographer and, of course, the dancers who are responsible for making such beautiful pieces under such unusual and challenging circumstances. Below you will hear some thoughts from the two choreographers charged with creating a dance for video and Jennifer Holub, the video artist who has collaborated with them.

From Jesse Obremski: "Connecting with Hofstra University's dancers, mainly virtually, has had its challenges and shared beautiful opportunities as well. I believe artists have a strong sense of imagination and can be seen as essential in this virtual age to create possibilities and adapt our processes. Within the creation process for this dance film, I've needed to find clarity within my own vision and have a thorough plan when communicating, whether in the studio or in production meetings, while still being available to listen. A challenge has been not physically being in the space often and, so, not feeling the energy of the room. However, a beautiful opportunity has been to

connect with my long-time associate and collaborator, Michael Greenberg. I have been able to bring him into this process to support and, at times, to have two rehearsals happening via Zoom on either side of the studio. I believe this cast of Hofstra dancers has risen to the challenge of hearing us via Zoom and collaborating, offering, and initiating their own choice-making capabilities into this process."

From Alexandra Williamson: "I have loved working with the talented dancers of Hofstra University and look forward to more! Creating a new piece partially in person and partially on Zoom has had its struggles, but the dancers have really gone above and beyond and made the process most enjoyable.

As we continue to create and rehearse, we're exploring how traditional dance, social dance, and concert dance can all exist in one performance piece. Ryan Wolfe, our composer, has also integrated various rhythms and patterns into the music. He is using software as well as traditional musical instruments; combining and duetting "old" and "new". Our final product is nearly complete and I am ecstatic about collaborating with Jennifer Holub. Filming the dance will bring a whole new performance level to the piece."

From Jennifer Holub: “This season presents special opportunities and challenges. Ordinarily, I come and shoot the Hofstra performances sight unseen. My skill lies in understanding how to video dance in the theater in performance, from years of experience, having developed the ability to do so without previewing and with just one “shot” at it. This year we have the opportunity with the choreographers and students to make a dance video in the theater with preplanning and shooting multiple takes of the dance that are then edited together to create the video of the dance. The restrictions on live performance from Covid-19 make it possible for the students to experience another type of collaborative creation. Still, we are limited by rehearsals on Zoom and viewing and collaborating remotely. We have one day in the theater to actualize the vision of the choreographers through the dancers with music, lighting, costumes and video. Looking forward!”

About the pieces:

Adam Barruch’s Phases is a new work which explores a movement vocabulary based in the dynamic processes that nature undergoes to manifest and balance all that exists. This piece for nine women was created for half the Junior class as their repertory project.

Claire Porter has created a new work for the other half of the Junior class. Hats is a dance of hats, hat brims and hat fashion. With music by Mary Ellen Childs, text by Porter and danced by twelve women in wide-brimmed hats, Hats suggests the moment before embarking into a post Covid world.

Alexandra Williamson’s new piece, Moonflowers' Apetala, explores how traditional dance, social dance, and concert dance can all exist in one work. The original score, by Ryan Wolfe, integrates a variety of rhythms and patterns and utilizes traditional instruments as well as computer software.

Alone/Together, choreographed by Robbie Cook, is a work for eight dancers that investigates physical and emotional distance and proximity as we explore what dance is in the Covid era. An original score by composer Arthur Solari provides the soundtrack.

Eclipse, choreographed by Jesse Obremski, speaks to how we view open and intimate spaces; inviting us to engage and respond to our own and collective thoughts on how we define these spaces, how we make choices on what is public and private, and how these two may potentially be one and the same.

Tenderfeet is a new tap dance quintet choreographed by David Parker and directed by Jeffrey Kazin. It is set to musical chestnuts familiar to any piano student such as Bach's Prelude in C Major, Flight of the Bumblebee and a riff on Heart and Soul. As the music loops back and forth between pop and classical sources, so the resourceful dancers adapt their bearing and comportment while enlivening these familiar pieces with snappy, syncopated and very modern tap dance vocabulary.