Thank you for attending our 2022 winter dance concert Reflections: Invited Choreographers Showcase. This concert represents a continued and exciting initiative for the Dance Division: inviting three guest artists (each of a different genre) to work with our dancers over a short period of time in the creation of new dances. The compressed timeline of this highly intensive residency mirrors the real-world experiences they may encounter when moving into the profession. We are delighted that our second experience with this residency initiative has resulted in two world premieres as well as a restaging. In addition to these three works, faculty member Tiffanie Carson's Phoenix Rising, created for our graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) candidates this past fall, will also be showcased. 

The first of our world premieres is City in the Sky by Shenandoah University (SU) alumna Lauren Carnesi ’12 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance). This work is a contemporary modern work based on the His Dark Materials book series by Philip Pullman. The work focuses on world building and creating a dark and ethereal atmosphere. Next is Rejoice by SU alumna Natasha Davis ’07 (Master of Fine Arts in Dance). This work is an invigorating performance of an Afro-Jazz dance that integrates the essence of traditional African movement and contemporary Jazz styles. New York-based choreographer Roderick George restages Evil Twin, which is a creation that plays with the deconstruction of human and machine behavior. It is also a hip-hop vernacular exchange entwined with ballet and contemporary rigor. The music causes an abrupt reaction, yet the humorous gestures and classical lines fill the room with fun. Dancers of different shapes and sizes, clad in gray sportswear, show the neutralness of humanity to this electronic unconventional dance. Evil Twin premiered in the summer of 2013 at Springboard Dans Montreal and was recreated in a virtual performance with the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre in June 2021.

Dance is a universal form of expression that strives to communicate; be it to form community, worship, philosophize, entertain, share stories, express emotions or give visualization to aspirations, struggles and triumphs. In all cases, there is a sharing of information that happens when the performing body moves and is viewed by others . . . and the identification of meaning is based on the many individual and unique factors that each viewer, (including you!), brings to the experience of the “performance.”

I hope you enjoy tonight's performance and I invite you to become a Friend of the Conservatory and help support this, as well as future, dance initiatives that provide current and impactful experiences for our students.

Maurice Fraga
Dance Division Chair
Associate Professor
Shenandoah Conservatory
Shenandoah University