Spring Dance Concert to feature works by Fosse and Rhoden

The annual Spring Dance Concert will be held April 20-23 in the Festival Playhouse in the Creative Arts Center. (Photo by Scott Robins/Geek with a Lens)

The Wright State Dance Ensemble will perform works by influential choreographers Bob Fosse and Dwight Rhoden, along with works from university dance faculty members during its annual Spring Dance Concert.

The concert also features guest works by the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II and Dayton Ballet II.

Performances take place in the Festival Playhouse in the Creative Arts Center on Thursday, April 20, at 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 23, at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students and can be ordered online or by calling the Theatre Box Office at 937-775-2500.

The concert will feature eight varied pieces reflecting the breadth and vision of the Dance Program.

The ensemble will perform “Excerpts from Testament,” by Rhoden, founder of Complexions Contemporary Ballet Company who was an artist-in-residence at Wright State this semester. “Testament” is set to American spirituals and explores the tension of spiritualism within the context of faith and devotion.

Lloyd Culbreath, a representative of the Verdon-Fosse Legacy, will be on campus for a weeklong immersion in Fosse’s dance styles and choreography, culminating in a performance of “The Rich Man’s Frug” from the Broadway musical “Sweet Charity.”

The concert will feature two premieres: “Raw,” choreographed by Gina Walther, associate professor of dance, inspired by the Women’s March on Washington, and “Triptych,” choreographed by Gregory Robinson, dance instructor, inspired by the concept of an artwork that is comprised of three elements.

The ensemble will also perform “Soul Sacrifice,” which Teressa Wylie McWilliams, choreographer and dance program coordinator, described as a “visual canvas reflecting the raw rhythms and dynamics of the iconic Carlos Santana at Woodstock, 1969.”

Dance Intensive Workshop for high school students

Wright State will hold its 10th annual Dance Intensive Workshop on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Creative Arts Center.

Open to students 14 and older, the workshop will teach technique classes in jazz, tap, modern, ballet, contemporary, improvisation, musical theatre dance, hip-hop and lyrical.

Participating faculty members include Teressa Wylie McWilliams, Gina Walther, Gregory Robinson, Erin Robbins, Greg Hellems and Joe Deer, along with guest alumni.

The workshop costs $45. More information, including registration details, is available on the Dance Program website or by calling 937-775-3792.