USC Dance Company Season Brochure 2014-2015

USC DANCE COMPANY

FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

SUSAN ANDERSON Our 2014-2015 Season features a fresh new look with traditional and contemporary choreography that will showcase the artistry of our young dancers. A centerpiece of our season will be Paul Taylor’s masterpiece, Company B. This contemporary ballet is set to the music of American 40s singers The Andrew Sisters, and was a whopping success when it was originally premiered by professional companies such as San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Houston Ballet. Kyra Strasberg, our distinguished artist-in-residence, has performed this choreography by Taylor and was instrumental in gaining the rights.

If dancing Paul Taylor’s work was not enough, the Columbia community will have the rare opportunity to see the internationally acclaimed Paul Taylor Dance Company in residence at the University of SC. The company will be performing four major works from their magical repertory for one night only. This will be the hottest ticket in town for our dance community! “One of the most exciting, innovative, and delightful dance companies in the entire world.” -- The New York Times.

We welcome the new head of Dance Education, Dr. Stephanie Milling.

Her pivotal work in dance notation will be at the forefront as she brings to the stage Falling Off the Back Porch. The restaging of this work

by Clay Taliaferro is scored in Labanotation, courtesy of the National Dance Bureau.

This year, our annual gala performance, Ballet Stars of New York celebrate its 10th anniversary! Associate Artistic Director Stacey Calvert will again stage iconic works by George Balanchine and host stars from the New York City Ballet, performing alongside over fifty dance majors. Thanks to the valiant efforts of our USC Board of Dance, this performance will again include a fabulous gala after-party, with new and exciting details to come.

We are pleased to announce that Assistant Professors Tanya Wideman-Davis and Thaddeus Davis were awarded a MAP grant from the Doris Duke Foundation. With this prestigious award, they will develop an evening-length work entitled Ruptured Silence: Racist Symbolism and Signs. This piece will be produced in collaboration with the duo’s professional company, Wideman/Davis Dance, which is also the professional dance company in residence at USC. It is intended to “expose and question the history of the confederate flag, its current presence and its representation in the Southern States of America.”

Stay tuned for performance dates for this premiere work!

This season, you’ve got two outstanding opportunities to see highquality original choreography from our students. In the Fall, we’ll present Affirmation! A Journey of Life Through Dance, which will feature our most seasoned student choreographers creating original works inspired by the experiences of those living with cancer. We will share the applause for this event with Dr. Frank Berger and USC’s Center for Colon Cancer Research. Please join us for this evening in celebration of life under the direction of Cindy Flach as our students explore, create and bring new meaning to this sensitive topic.

In the spring, we’ll present our inaugural Alumni Dance Concert. Join us as we celebrate our outstanding graduates, who will come back to create, perform and display their artistry as their career achievements unfold after USC Dance.

USC Dance Conservatory, with Kerri Lambert as Administrative Director and Stacey Calvert as Curriculum Director, have big plans for a new production of the ballet Alice in Wonderland as their spring performance.

We hope you enjoy our spectacular 2014-15 season!

TICKET PRICES REGULAR SEASON PERFORMANCES STUDENTS USC FACULTY/STAFF MILITARY, SENIORS (60+) GENERAL PUBLIC

$12 $16 $16 $18

BALLET STARS OF NY PERFORMANCE STUDENTS 2ND BALCONY 1ST BALCONY ORCHESTRA

$15 $25 $30 $35

PAUL TAYLOR DANCE PERFORMANCE 2ND BALCONY GRAND TIER ORCHESTRA

$20 $35 $40

USC DANCE CONSERVATORY PERFORMANCE ALL TICKETS

$12

TO PURCHASE TICKETS CALL THE BOX OFFICE AT 803-777-5112 OR CHARGE BY PHONE AT 803-251-2222 Brochure photos by Jason Ayer unless otherwise noted.

SPECIAL EVENT OCTOBER 22, 2014 PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY IN CONCERT

Presented by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Theatre and Dance The internationally acclaimed Paul Taylor Dance Company will be in residence at the University of South Carolina and will perform four major works from their magical repertory for one night only.

“One of the most exciting, innovative and delightful dance companies in the entire world.” -- The New York Times “Paul Taylor is the reigning master of modern dance.”

-- Time Magazine Special Ticket Prices: Orchestra: $40 Grand Tier: $35 2nd Balcony: $20 PERFORMANCE 7:30 PM KOGER CENTER FOR THE ARTS

NOVEMBER 6-7, 2014 USC DANCE COMPANY

20TH CENTURY MASTERPIECES The USC Dance Company presents an evening of classical and contemporary repertoire, featuring the Paul Taylor masterwork Company B, as well as works

by George Balanchine and Thaddeus Davis.

PERFORMANCE 7:30 PM KOGER CENTER FOR THE ARTS

DECEMBER 2-5, 2014 STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE

AFFIRMATION:

A JOURNEY OF LIFE THROUGH DANCE Our most seasoned student choreographers present an evening of original works inspired by the journeys of lives affected by cancer. Presented in collaboration with USC’s Center for Colon Cancer Research.

PERFORMANCE 6 PM DRAYTON HALL THEATRE

Tickets for Wideman/Davis Dance and the Student Choreography Showcase will be sold separately.

DECEMBER 2-5, 2014 WIDEMAN/DAVIS DANCE IN CONCERT Our professional dance company in-residence, Wideman/Davis Dance, presents their new work, We Hold These Truths, originally created for the April, 2014 commemoration of fifty years of desegregation at the University of SC. With Special Guest Dr. Thomas F. DeFrantz.

PERFORMANCE 8 PM DRAYTON HALL THEATRE

Tickets for Wideman/Davis Dance and the Student Choreography Showcase will be sold separately.

FEBRUARY 10-13, 2015 USC DANCE COMPANY

PUSHING BOUNDARIES Under the direction of Assistant Professor Thaddeus Davis, USC Dance Company presents an evening of contemporary dance works, featuring premiere choreography from guest artist Maurya Kerr (Alonzo King LINES Ballet), Assistant Professor Tanya WidemanDavis and Thaddeus Davis, plus USC Dance Education students performing an iconic work by choreographer Clay Taliaferro under the direction of Dr. Stephanie Milling.

PERFORMANCE 7:30 PM DRAYTON HALL THEATRE

Photo: Cory Alpert

APRIL 16, 2015 USC DANCE ALUMNI

CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE Join us in showcasing the continued artistic excellence of dance artists who just happen to have once called our university studios home. The evening will include selected works from our most gifted alumni, performed by current students.

PERFORMANCE 7:30 PM KOGER CENTER FOR THE ARTS

APRIL 17, 2015 10TH ANNUAL

BALLET STARS OF NEW YORK GALA PERFORMANCE

Our premier annual concert marks its tenth anniversary!

Stacey Calvert, Associate Artistic Director of the USC Dance Company, will stage an evening of classical ballet featuring principal dancers from the legendary New York City Ballet performing in concert with the USC Dance Company.

Special Ticket Price: Orchestra: $35 Grand Tier: $30 2nd Balcony: $25 Students: $15 PERFORMANCE 7 PM KOGER CENTER FOR THE ARTS

MAY 22-23, 2015 USC DANCE CONSERVATORY

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Take a trip down the rabbit hole with dancers from the USC Dance Conservatory, our afterschool program for students aged 3-18, as they present Alice in Wonderland!

Our exceptional students will perform choreography by conservatory faculty as they tell the timeless story of a little girl who goes on the fantastical adventure of a lifetime!

All Tickets: $12 PERFORMANCES MAY 22 6 PM MAY 23 2 PM DRAYTON HALL THEATRE

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE! Be a subscriber for our 2014-15 dance season and receive 12%-15% off the normal ticket price! As our thank you, our subscribers receive the best seating in the house, including orchestra seats at our premier event, Ballet Stars of NY!* Fill out and return the form below along with your payment, or print out your subscription form at our website: artsandsciences.sc.edu/dance. Then, get ready for an unforgettable season of great dance performances!

SUBSCRIPTION PRICES SUBS. RATE

LEVELS

NORM. RATE

STUDENT $90 $107 USC FACULTY/STAFF, $110 $127 MILITARY, SENIORS 60+ GENERAL PUBLIC

$120 $137

CORPORATE

$460 $548

(Includes 4 season passes* )

*Subscription packages include tickets to all USC Dance concerts, including Student Showcase, Wideman/Davis Dance and USC Dance Conservatory events, plus orchestra tickets for the Ballet Stars of NY performance. Admission to the Ballet Stars of NY gala after-party is not included.

Subscription packages do not include admission to Special Events (Paul Taylor Dance Company).

Name: ___________________________________________ Daytime Phone: ___________ Evening: ________________ Email:____________________________________________ Address:_________________________________________ ________________________________________________ (Write in the quantity of subscriptions you want at each level below.)

Student ____ x $90 General ____ x $120 TOTAL

Fac./Staff/Mil./Seniors ____ x $110 Corporate ____ x $460

$________

Check or money order, please.

Make payable to: University of South Carolina Or Charge (check one)

MasterCard

Visa

Card number:___________________________________ Expiration date:_________________________________ Signature:______________________________________

Cut along dotted line.

Mail completed form and check/money order (if applicable) to:

University of SC Dept. of Theatre and Dance Attn: Ray Jones 1300 Greene St. Columbia SC 29208

ARTSANDSCIENCES.SC.EDU/DANCE

UNIVERSITY OF SC DANCE PROGRAM 324 Sumter St. Columbia SC 29208 803.777.5636 | dance@sc.edu